Beyond mere novelty: Timbre as primary structural marker in Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major

3Citations
Citations of this article
7Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Ravel's Concerto in G Major reveals a new priority for timbre, long an integral part of his compositional toolkit, in which timbre functions as a form-bearing accent that marks and transforms themes. Through his unconventional treatment of symphonic instruments and the piano within reinvented concepts of theme, key, and form, I argue that these “novel” sonorities are not just there for surface reasons, but rather there to serve an integral role within the narrative of the concerto form. In the timbrally marked Concerto in G Major, the concerto medium is turned on its side as we attempt to understand the members of the orchestra as ensemble and co-soloists within changing auditory scenes. With the prominent place given to piccolo and harp -and, more profoundly, the “mistuned,” unusual timbres often issuing from the piano-we wonder: Who is the soloist Ravel is highlighting in this concerto?.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Beavers, J. P. (2019). Beyond mere novelty: Timbre as primary structural marker in Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major. Music Theory Online, 25(4). https://doi.org/10.30535/MTO.25.4.1

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free