Ravel's Alborado

[cantabile]

Hi there,
I really want to learn the Alborado from Miroirs by Ravel. However, the double-note glissando just scares me. Any suggestion? Thanks!

[martin_s]

well, with the stage lights on, on a new Steinway piano, in a piano competition after 38 other contestants with greasy hands, those glissandos is the least problem in that piece! Trust me  

PS. this effect can be simulated in the pracise room by eating a good portion of american fried chicken and chips before starting.

[martin_s]

no...honestly, this is not a terribly difficult piece. It has got a few tricky passages of course and then one has to figure out how to do the repeated notes. But it needn't be played all that fast anyway, it is more a question of finding that rhythmical tension, and not to go too deep into the key, it ain't Brahms ya know. And don't worry about the glissandos, try to think about the left hand intstead when playing them...

[cantabile]

Hi Martin,
Thank you so much for your advice   I am going to eat a lot of American Fried Chicken, Texas size steak, Philadephia's Philly cheesestickand tons of Dunkin donuts before I start.
Your suggestion is really useful and reflects you are a very thoughtful musician! By the way, can you suggest any good edition of Ravel's piano work?
Cheers,
Cantabile

[Gertrud]

Hi,

My name is Gertrud and I am Hungarian. Before I completed my Master Degree I played the firs part of the Gaspard de la Nuit, the Ondine by Ravel. If you want to play something amazing and wonderful piece try it! Although the another parts are such incredible, too......
Trust in me!

Lots of love
Gertrud

[Gertrud]

Hi again,

I do not know whether the Barenreiter edited something by Ravel. They are really popular in Europe, but I have to check............for example they`re very authentical in Bach, Beethoven, but I am not sure that some pieces by Ravel are edited by them.......



Gertrud

[Jenny_Lee]

Hi cantabile,

Being a great Ravel fan myself, I share your enthusiam for Alborada. Roger Nichols, the Ravel scholar edited a series of Ravel's piano music from the manuscirpt couple of years ago. The one that I got for Miroirs is good and accurate. Maybe you can try that!

Best, Jenny Lee

[rachfan]

When I was studying "La vallee des cloches" from Miroirs, I used the Schirmer edition, as it was the only one I had in my music library at the time.  I've never been too high on Schirmer, but it worked fine in that instance.  I note in Hinson's repertoire guide that the choices for Miroirs are Max Eschig,  E. B. Marks (I found their sheet music for the "Pavane pour une infante defunte" dreadful, including poor print quality and missing notes), Schirmer, Schott, and Kalmus.  (Kalmus generally has endured considerable criticism over the years, but seems to have improved more recently.)  And, evidently, "Alborado" is printed separately by International Music as well.  Their editions are usually excellent, a fine example being their Complete Brahms.   If you will only being studying Alborado you might try International Music first.  If you will be studying other pieces in Miroirs, then maybe look for Eschig (as long as it's unedited) with Schirmer as a fallback, as it seems to be an ok edition in this case.  Good luck with this piece!  

[piano_maestro3000]

you wanna hear a good recording? try phillippe entremont, listen to the double not glissandos and you'll hear they are quite easy, compared to the rest.
dont play too hard for any kind of glissando, if that helps.
listen to the repeat notes, they are fantastically executed.