Ravel

[c18cont]

Anybody ever play and enjoy Maurice Ravel's--"Jeux d'Eau'?

If so how difficult did you find it, as a composition sometimes looked at as so much "fluff"...?

John Cont

[nanabush]

I'm attempting to learn aside from what I'm doing right now, and I gotta be honest, it's definately not easy at all.  It's not even somewhat easy, that is one of the pieces that I have to take slow, because fingering in certain areas is extremely crucial and if I speed through it, my fingering will be off and when I play fast will sound really sloppy.  That's me though, I'm not a crazy pianist, but I'm not scared to try something, realising later it's too tough.
   what have you played recently?  If you have heard of/played Ondine then you can definately learn this, for it is much easier to *attempt* than Ondine...

It's a really cool piece though, especially the part where you gotta play crystal clear double notes in the right hand, it's such a nice piece... give it a shot...

[c18cont]

Hi to all,

Indeed...I am always a bit interested, as it was my preferred composition for my Senior Recital many years ago, and was the best received, including my Chopin and Debussy numbers..(sorry to tell you, but I rec. my BA in 1969.....6 years late....I'm an old timer...)

Fingering is critical, but it has special rewards in my own memory...Forgive me for allowing the idea I had not performed it before...I must be more careful with my wording  on this forum as many are quite advanced...

Best...John Cont

[Bouter Boogie]

I've never played Jeux d'Eau, but some others I know played it. They found it quite difficult.

I listened to a recording of Argerich, I think the piece might be complicated in the beginning. Maybe it's comparable to some pieces of Debussy?  For example L'Isle Joyeuse.. (Of course I mean the difficulty of the piece, not the music itself  )

I hope to play Jeux d'Eau in the future, the piece is great 

Good luck!

[lostinidlewonder]

I play Jeux Deau, it isn't hard if you know a lot of Ravel music since the form the notes has on the hands is very particulary Ravel. This is definatly not a piece to try if you only know a few Ravel pieces, you really need to be able to draw info about form and sound from his other "less difficult" music such as the Sonatine which should be practice before this for sure and perhaps even his Pavane pour une infante which explores similar shape and bigger rolled arpeggio which we come across in the Jeux Deau. I personaly found after studying a bit of Scriabin Preludes and Etudes, the larger arpeggios and stranger chords forms Ravel write in the JD become rather routine.

It is easy to hit a wrong note throughout the JD and written throughout are many risky parts like, very large arpeggios which need to be rapid and with one hand as connected as possible and clearly struck accents on the top of arpeggios which always leave us open for error. Or arepeggio runs which have attached to them accents which need to be drawn out or you lose the melody. A very light touch is required as well, it is easy to be too heavy when you play this, same as with the 1st movement of the Gaspard de la Nuit, Ondine. I did find Ondine easier to learn than the JD simply because JD has a lot of crossing over and more positional movement which for me is what makes music hard.

[pianobabe56]

I absolutely love this piece! I'm working it up and planning on carrying it through most of my competitions this upcoming year. I find it to be a beautiful piece that, when properly played, sounds much easier than it actually is. It certainly doesn't fit under the hand as nicely as chopin or debussy does, and the more modern harmonies make it easy to miss a note, so you have to watch that.

Ravel added the story of the Sea God being tickled by water, and he laughs as the river runs by. Something along those lines.