Can anyone identify this piece?

[liszmaninopin]

I remember quite a few years ago I was at a piano recital, listening to the various performers.  One student played a piece that was very beautiful.  All I remember was that is was by Ravel and that before he performed it, the host of the recital read aloud some poetry, and said something about this piece relating to a mermaid.  I know this  may sound weird, but if anybody can suggest what piece that might be, I would appreciate it greatly.  Unfortunately, I probably would not recognize it if I heard it, I just remember liking it alot.

[eddie92099]

Ondine from Gaspard de la Nuit,
Ed

(P.s. In my opinion this piece contains the best bar of music ever written.)

[liszmaninopin]

Thanks.  Is that just a guess, or are you pretty sure?
Is that bar of music you refer to the fortissimo one that is labelled un peu plus lent, it's page 9 in the edition I have.  That is my favorite bar in the piece.

[eddie92099]

I am positive that is the piece that you are referring to. I don't have my score with me at the moment but I think it is the second to last page - it's basically the loud bit!
Ed

[liszmaninopin]

Ondine is a lovely piece, my favourite of the Gaspard.  I think I know what you mean by the loud part, it is very passionate, built up by all that comes before it.  Quite heady praise for you to call it the best bar of music ever written.

[liszmaninopin]

Ed, what is in your opinion the best recording of the Gaspard?

[eddie92099]

Martha Argerich of course!
Ed

[liszmaninopin]

I almost knew you would say that.

Really, to me, the piece seems more evocative of a pleasant breeze than a mermaid to me.  Today, we have very springlike weather where I live.  I opened the window and started practicing the first page of Ondine.  The cool breeze and fluttering blinds seemed to really accentuate the mood of the piece.

[eddie92099]

What a lovely story. It is really more about a water nymph than a mermaid - there is a translation of the poem somewhere on the internet. It is by Aloysius Bertrand and obviously called Ondine,
Ed

[liszmaninopin]

Have you actually played the whole piece?  The first page didn't seem hard at all once I got the hand of the right hand movement, and that didn't take more than a couple minutes.  Actually, when I scan ahead, it looks like while the piece moves very fast, in general the notes look like they're under the hand and wouldn't be that hard to do.

[eddie92099]

I have only played Scarbo in concert, but I have played through Ondine and Le Gibet,
Ed

[steinway88]

Did it have a glissando in the middle, if it did I think I may know the piece your referring to its Jeux'Deu

[eddie92099]

Did it have a glissando in the middle, if it did I think I may know the piece your referring to its Jeux'Deu

No it's not. It is Ondine from Gaspard de la Nuit,
Ed

[ravel]

yes exactly
jeux d eau is more about  "river God laughing when being tickled by the water "
It is ondine infact, taht u are referring to, and I  havent heard any one playing it better than argerich,  i also heard michelangelli s recording though, and it seemed really good too, except for a wrong note.
but only argerich could create that build up perfectly to the climax. i mean PERFECTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[eddie92099]

perfectly to the climax. i mean PERFECTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Exactly! And I have heard a lot of recordings,
Ed

[ravel]

yup i have heard others too,
gieseking, entremont and i think ashkenazy,  and samson francois.
i found francois' recording good too, it was really different from the others, he uses much less  of the pedal it seems.

[eddie92099]

The only recording I would recommend other than Argerich is Ivo Pogorelich,
Ed

[liszmaninopin]

Ed, did Argerich do anything you didn't like?  Just be careful not to become to enamored with one pianist.

[steinway88]

I heard Agerich play it before too and she does get that build up perfectly, I also heard Richter play it and he got tremendous speed with it but didn't get that kind of build up Agerich got before the glissando.

[eddie92099]

Ed, did Argerich do anything you didn't like?  Just be careful not to become to enamored with one pianist.

To be honest, no she has not done anything I didn't like. However, I do listen to other pianists (Argerich doesn't play everything!),
Ed