Analysis Of Ravel’s Piano Music Retro Feelings

The The piano suite Le Tombeau de Couperin is a masterpiece from French composer Maurice Ravel,and the original meaning of this song name is to recollect the tradition of French piano music which represented by Couperin.Maurice Ravel is one of the most powerful composer at the turn of the 20 th century,the style of his piano creation not only adhere tradition but also continue to forge ahead.Therefore,we can’t be hasty to ascribe him or his masterpieces to a genre category.Because of Maurice Ravel experienced the First World War and his mother passed away later,so his life experience become so plenish and his mind become more and more calm,and his composition method is back to tradition gradually,then we can totally realize the retro feeling within his masterpieces.The piano suite Le Tombeau DE Couperin is composed of six pieces of music with different characteristics.All the music,both in subject matter and style,are reflected strong traditional French style.This essay researches Maurice Ravel ’s life experiences and his music creation respectively,it mainly analyzes the performance technique and music characteristics through the creation background of Le Tombeau de Couperin,further analyzes the retro feeling of Maurice Ravel’s music,so as to find evidence that he respects to classical music.The introduction section firstly showing the style of Maurice Ravel piano music,and describes in the origin of this essay research.Secondly,it makes overall summary for research outcomes what related this essay.Thirdly,it discusses the research meaning of this essay with theory and practice.Fourthly,it introduces the main research method adopted in this essay.Chapter 1,section 1 introduces Maurice Ravel’s life experiences and the creation style of his piano music and introduces the main piano masterpieces during his early,middle and late periods.Section 2 introduces Maurice Ravel’s music creation style.Chapter 2,section 1 introduces piano suite Le Tombeau de Couperin ’ s creation background.Section 2 mainly discusses the retro feeling of Le Tombeau de Couperin from the aspects of musical genre,decorative tone,tonality and musical texture.Chapter 3 combines with chapter 2’s theories to explore the playing issues of every music,it analyzes about how Le Tombeau de Couperin reflect the traditional French music style which represented by Couperin form some aspects including music themes,rhythm speed and harmonic texture,etc.Through the above analysis,we can find that the music creation technique,genre form,musical structure and harmonic vocabulary are all evidences that Maurice Ravel respects to tradition.But composer not limited to traditional music creation style,and the chromatic harmonies and high superimposed chords let the music add the sense of color,then make the masterpiece shine a hazy beauty.As a piano player,when we are playing Maurice Ravel’s work,we should not only limited to his impressionist or neoclassical style,but also make concrete analysis according to specific masterpiece,and find out more his style and characteristics.And based on personal performance experience to feel every notes’ sound effect and music connotation,and combine related theory research to make more accurate interpretation to masterpiece.