Ravel

[pianobee]

Hi.  What is a good piece to start with if you had never played anything by Ravel before to get introduced to his style?

[classico]

Depends.  If you're at an intermediate level (I know this sounds arbitrary.), you could try his all-time favourite, "Pavane pour une infante defunte (Pavane for a dead princess)". The title really belies its beautiful melody. Jeux d'eau is also another good piece worth playing. but, you have to have solid finger techniques and musicality. It's one of my favourite pieces.   

[Daevren]

Maybe listen to his Ochesta works first. I really think those are far more interesting than his piano works and they give a good idea what Ravel is about. Try Daphnis et Chloe or his famous Bolero.

[pita bread]

Bolero over the piano solo works?  Each man to his own, I suppose.

Jeux d'eau is a good start, not the easiest thing technically or musically, but it helps develop your technique and tone coloring really well.

[lostinidlewonder]

Look at his children pieces he wrote for the Godebski children: Mère l'oye (Mother Goose) see https://www.proarte.org/notes/ravel.htm for some info.

[Daevren]

No way, I hate the Bolero. But it might be a good place to start. Maybe pianobee will like it.

[nanabush]

Pavane yes, I don't think Jeux d'eau is a good intermediate entry point....if you're at that level maybe you're not ready for Ravel... Actually try his Menuet or Prelude from Tombeau de couperin...If I were you I'd try some Debussy preludes, children's corner or suite bergamasque before trying Ravel, who'se music I find is much more difficult...

[Nightscape]

I've been waiting to do this.  Here I will list the order of difficulty of Ravel's solo piano works.

[Group 1]
Prelude (1913)

[Group 2]
Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn (1909)
A la maniere de Borodine (1913)
A la maniere de Chabrier (1913)

[Group 3]
Pavane pur une infante defunte (1899)
Menuet Antique (1895)

[Group 4]
Sonatine (1903-1905)
Jeux d'eau (1901)
Valses nobles et sentimentales (1911)

[Group 5]
Le tombeu de Couperin (1914-1917)
La Valse piano transcription (1919-1920)
Miroirs (1904-1905)
Gaspard de la nuit (1908)

I have left out some rarer works not published in Ravel's lifetime, as I am not familiar with the scores.  I have also placed these into five ranges of difficulty to account for personal differances - for example, some might find Jeux d'eau easier than the Sonatine, but most everyone would agree it is more difficult to perform than the Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn.  Also, you should realize than within the large piano suites, there are pieces of varying difficulty.  If you don't have any qualms about playing single movements, for example the Minuet in Le tombeu de Couperin is easier than the Toccata from the same suite.

By the way, for a relative range, the easiest piece, the 1913 Prelude, is of about intermediate level, comparable in difficulty to some of the slower Chopin preludes.  There is a tricky part where your hands play on top of one another though.  On the other hand, the pieces in Group 5 are extremely challenging.... comparable or more challenging to the difficult works of Liszt.  You should always know though, that in Ravel, the musical challenges always eclipse whatever technical difficulties you will encounter, even in the easiest piece.

Just if you're curious, Ravel also wrote some wonderful music for piano four hands.  I am familar with three works (that may be all of it):

Ma Mere L'Oyle
Frontispice
Sites Auriculaires

In general, his four hands music is not quite as challenging as the solo music.  But they of course still are at least of intermediate level.  As far as his chamber works go, the piano part in his Habanera is not too challenging, however the parts in his Trio, and the two violin sonatas are quite challenging.  I'm afraid I can't comment on his songs though.

[dmk]

Just if you're curious, Ravel also wrote some wonderful music for piano four hands. I am familar with three works (that may be all of it):

Ma Mere L'Oyle
Frontispice
Sites Auriculaires

In general, his four hands music is not quite as challenging as the solo music. But they of course still are at least of intermediate level. As far as his chamber works go, the piano part in his Habanera is not too challenging, however the parts in his Trio, and the two violin sonatas are quite challenging. I'm afraid I can't comment on his songs though.

For piano four hand works.... the Feria from Rhapsodie Espagnol

This whole set is way way harder than Ma Mere L'Oye and the Feria is fantastic, and is definately no cakewalk...not as hard as some of the more massive solo works listed in Group V but very impressive!

cheers

dmk

[lostinidlewonder]

Ma Mere L'Oyle  is also available as piano solo. I teach it to young kids who want to learn Ravel, it is very accessible.

[thorn]

The first piece of Ravel's i played was 'Oiseaux Tristes' from Miroirs- this is a good one to get familiar with Ravel's style as it was one of his favourite works. It is also one of the two easier pieces from 'Miroirs' which I wouldn't personally put in Group V (the other three definetely in V though).

however, i had played lots of Debussy before I heard of Ravel, so I imagine i was more prepared for the style. you could also try the Pavane, however i dont find this any easier than Oiseaux Tristes... i personally wouldn't touch Jeux d'eau until you are familiar with Ravel's style, even if you are at that level of playing (i would personally say it was on a par with the Miroirs)

[Bouter Boogie]

I started with Menuet Sur Le Nom d'Haydn  Might be a good choice?

[nicko124]

I started with Forlane (from Le Tombeau de Couperin) and i think this would go in group 3 of nightscape128's list. The main difficulty is the Sicilian rythm that is introduced early, the only physical difficulty is the left hand part which tends to have a lot of jumps. It is also a difficult piece to perform as well, the best recording i have heard is Vlado Perlemuter who seems to give it a lot of energy. You have to really get the timing and the rythm right though to understand the piece.

On the whole this piece is fairly easy (compared to things like Jeux d'eau) and it is a good place to start if you are grade 7 standard.