Maurice Ravel - Menuet antique (1895)

Composer: Joseph Maurice Ravel (March 7, 1875 – December 28, 1937)
Pianist: Louis Lortie

0:00 Majesteusement [Majestically]
2:19 doux [sweet]
4:04 Majesteusement reprise

[mori-patte]

This piece sounds kinda like exploring ancient castle ruins. With old musical forms representing it's walls and all new elements representing beautiful flowers which grown there over time.

[EmilianoManna]

Renaissance cadences + Classical forms + Ravel's everything else = ♥

[SCRIABINIST]

There is an unsaid beauty in this piece that I cannot describe.

[amosgreen]

I love how you can see Bach's influence on Ravels Music. It has such a nostalgic and wonderful sound when Bach's ways of imitation and sequences are combined with Ravels Harmonic Language. Amazing.

[MatheusKulik]

I'm not sure if it's the writing or if the interpretation contributes to it, but even when Ravel uses old forms and styles there's a freshness, a feeling of clean air which is absolutely modern. It's as if he obtained the modernist ideal of crystalline rationality without having to sacrifice ornament and tradition.

[hhSly]

I love those semitones resolutions in Ravel’s compositions

[NoreenHoltzen]

Incredible that this was one of Ravel’s very first published works. And also striking to me that the whole exposition is nearly all diatonic with barely even one accidental - yet it sounds ridiculously colourful.

[gregoryroscow]

Ravel's music never fails to delight. Bold, wistful, and in excellent taste.

[harryk]

This is a wonderful piece. It is classical in form, but coloured beautifully with Impressionism. I prefer the piano version over the orchestral version.

[hirondellescie]

The transition section (3:32) including the main theme played in the left hand is one of the most beautiful musical ideas I can imagine.

[stevef]

It is Ravel’s genius to make metaphysical statements in a shorter time than many more expansive composers take to clear their throats. From 3.19 to 3.33 the simple melody seems about to escape the confines of this world, only to fall back. Ravel has no back catalogue, and this is why. He leaves us always wanting more.

[Sedyon]

0:50 2:26 2:47 3:49 4:34 I absolutely love these little moments and I don"t know why

[dacoconutnut]

2:26 god why I love so much this Bmaj7 chord voicing

[MingledLOL]

Its so gentle! ❤
Interesting to see this pretty early composition! 👌

[tashaschneider]

Beautiful, and also charming! Ravel is the best!

[paultiffany]

I hate this piece because I repeat it in my head for days after hearing this genius piece.

It's like when a jazzman travels to a renessaince times... love the piece. Just recorded it yesterday. In case you wanna hear, be welcome. It's on my profile together with "sur le nom de HAYDN" and Pavane.

[samuelechiarelli]

That 3:19 part feels like recovering from depression

[ericastier]

Il y a une grace dans la musique française que l'on trouve rarement ailleurs. Chez Tchaikozsky quelquefois mais sa mère était d'origine française. Certainement pas chez les Allemands, chez l'Anglais Edouard Ellgar oui, mais pas aussi sublimé que chez Ravel, Debussy, Chabrier, Couperin.

[ericallerat]

Ravel was 20 when composing the piece.