The Grave of Couperin

Finishing up our exploration of this year’s Festival Orchestra week music, we turn to Ravel’s fascinating piece The Grave of Couperin. Originally a piano piece in six movements in the style of a traditional Baroque suite, the piece was written as a tombeau a musical genre popular in the 17th century written as a memorial . Ravel, who served in World War I, dedicated each movement to someone he knew who had perished in the war. Four of the movements he then orchestrated into the orchestral piece we’ll be listening to, which showcases Ravel’s legendary prowess as an orchestrator, breaking new boundaries in both musical harmony and orchestral color that would influence all of 20th century music, including film scores and jazz. Ravel went on to become France’s most celebrated composer, and if you have never explored his music before, you’ll be blown away by its beauty – to this day his unique sound remains unmatched.