Ravel, Menuet sur le nom de Haydn

[rachfan]

This character piece, similar to the Menuet Antique, reflect Ravel's cooler classical style that he often chose in composing, while infusing it with his own modern idiom.  This Menuet was composed in 1909, published by Durand in 1910 and premiered by Ennemond Trillat on March 11, 1911 for the Societe Nationale de Musique at the Salle Pleyel in Paris.

[rachfan]

Hi,

This piece is not "Gaspard de la nuit"; but if you're not familiar with it, please take a moment to listen!  This was composed for the centennial of Haydn's death.  Ravel based this minuet on the notes B, A, D, D and G as the musical equivalents of Haydn's name.  The motif is presented in mirror inversion, retrograde, transposition, and other variations appearing 11 times throughout in an amazingly short space of time.  It also features some interesting double note passages.  Not only is the piece an interesting example of Ravel's classical side, but is clever and totally cool.  Comments welcome.