Ravel's La Valse and Hi I'm new

[sof]

Hello dear fellow piano lovers, I'm new here and I'm glad to have found this place. I currently live in Toronto, Canada and that's my self introduction. =)

I'm currently learning Ravel's La Valse (piano solo version of course) and I have just a question about the three big glissandos near the end of this piece.  I have a recording of Louis Lortie and he delayed the last two chords in the phrase of one glissando, but he only did it for the first one.

What is YOUR way of making it sound exuberant and full (ie. not emitting too much notes written on the score)?

[steinwayguy]

For future reference, this would be a good topic for the repertoire board. Sorry I don't know anything about this piece. 

[sof]

oo, I posted it here because I saw the presence of the La Campanella thread.

[Nightscape]

Actually the performance board is a good choice since he's really asking about a technical question (namely, how to perform glissandos and making it sound exuberant and full).

If he were asking about say the style of La Valse, or perhaps a question pertaining to some non-performance aspect of it (like harmony, or Ravel himself, or whether or not people like it) then it would be more proper to place it in the repetoire board.

[franz_]

One question:  Is the piece really that hard?

[neardn]

i looked at the music and i'm not sure where exactly the glissandos you mentioned are

do you know the measures they are on? i will play them and tell you what the results are i come up with

never mind i found them

i'll assume your reading is from ravel's own transcription no?
from looking at it i would suggest using the middle sustain for the chords, and using the right pedal to sustain the glissandi

the first glissando can begin with the first chord. play the e after the c sharp with your thumb and continue

and i would begin the second glissando with my left hand

the chords that he writes for the right hand to play with the glissandi you might try playing very staccato? i don't know if that's possible or not

i'll have to try it tomorrow

[neardn]

ok i just tried it and it's virtually impossible to play

you could try playing the chords as octaves with your left hand, i don't think too many are going to notice anyway ;)