Product Description
For solo classical guitar; 2 pp; intermediate difficulty.
Maurice Ravel (1875
-1937)
Ravel was born in the
Basque region of France and much of his work shows a Spanish
influence (this, together with his interest in jazz has produced some
exceptional guitar transcriptions). He was a pupil of Faure and at
first fell, like many contemporary composers, under Debussy's spell.
However, his ascetic and intellectual bents produced from the start a
refinement of composition and orchestration, and development of
melody, all his own. Later music, including the Concerto, shows his
love of the rhythmic features of jazz, and thoughtful incorporation
of the innovations of modern music strong dissonance, atonality
etc.
Ravel wrote both music
and lyrics for a number of songs including Trois Beaux Oiseaux du
Paradis (Three Lovely Birds from Paradise - see below), composed in 1916 while he was posted in the French army during WW1, this at significant physical and
mental cost (ref. Wikipedia). Thus the tragic lyrics arise from
experience, and the music (Ravel was 40) is typically expressive and
uncomplicated with the usual harmonic surprises.
Three
Lovely Birds from Paradise (English
translation)
Three
lovely birds from Paradise
(My
beloved has to the fighting gone)
Three
lovely birds from Paradise
Have
flown along this way.
The
first was bluer than Heaven's blue,
(My
beloved has to the fighting gone)
The
second white as the fallen snow,
The
third was wrapped in bright red glow.
'Ye
lovely birds from Paradise
(My
beloved has to the fighting gone)
Ye
lovely birds from Paradise
What
bring ye then this way?'
'I
bring to thee a glance of azure
(Thy
beloved has to the fighting gone)
And
I on fairest snow white brow
A
fond kiss must leave, yet purer still.'
'Thou
bright red bird from Paradise
(My
beloved has to the fighting gone)
Thou
bright red bird from Paradise,
What
brings thou to me?'
'A
faithful heart all crimson red,
(Thy
beloved has to the fighting gone)'
'Ah!
I feel my heart glowing cold
Take
it also with thee.'
Maurice
Ravel (1914)
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