Water Music: Cool and Clear Water [Refining Sensibilities by Listening to Classical Piano]
Hello! This is yuki.
Today is the third installment of the
"Refining Sensibilities by Listening to Classical Piano"
series.
I am writing this so that even those who are not familiar with classical music can enjoy it easily!
The piece I am featuring this time is
composed by Ravel,
"Jeux d'eau".
It is a work where you can enjoy a fantastical sound world.
So, here it is!
[My thoughts on this project are written here]
Jeux d'eau
Let's start by introducing a performance video.
This is "Jeux d'eau" composed by Ravel.
It makes you visualize scenes of cool, clear water flowing smoothly, splashing up, and changing in ever-shifting ways!
Oriental Atmosphere
I also feel an oriental atmosphere from this piece.
Somehow,
"an oriental ritual using water"
comes to mind.
In the final section, I feel a sense of "purification."
In Japan, perhaps it would be "Misogi" (purification ritual).
Ravel had a deep interest in Eastern culture and used it as a source of inspiration.
In fact, in this "Jeux d'eau," scales that have been used in
folk music from various Eastern countries are used.
That scale is called the
pentatonic scale.
A pentatonic scale is a scale made of five notes,
rather than the seven notes
like do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do.
It is a scale made of five notes.
There are diverse combinations depending on the culture,
and in Japan, the 'yonanuki scale' and
the 'Ryukyu scale' are famous.
The characteristic of a pentatonic scale is that
it becomes music with free combinations
of notes.
For those who have a piano or keyboard,
I would definitely like you to try this,
but I want you to try playing
by freely combining notes and rhythms
using only the 'black keys' of the piano.
Then,
it should sound somewhat like Asian music.
You might even be able to play
nursery rhymes or songs you know.
The reason for this is that the five black keys
are exactly a pentatonic scale.
(Even those who cannot play the piano at all,
please try it out!
You can easily improvise.)
I have digressed a little,
but when listening to 'Jeux d'eau',
'It feels somewhat Oriental'
the fact that there are parts where you feel this
is likely due to this reason.
The Super Perfectionist
Debussy in the first installment,
Séverac in the second,
and Ravel this time.
These three people are
French composers who lived in the same era.
I have introduced each person's water music,
and it is interesting how their personalities are clearly different.
Debussy is
Impressionistic music with blurred outlines.
Séverac is romantic music.And Ravel.
While using innovative harmonies and rhythms,
it is music with clear outlines.
Ravel was
quite a perfectionist.
In his private life, he was a gentleman who always wore formal clothes and perfume, living surrounded by works of art.
Even in his music, he was nicknamed the
"Swiss watchmaker"
because he created
meticulous and perfect works.
And because his works were perfect, he apparently could not stand it when performers disrupted that balance.
In music, there is a method of expression called
"rubato"
.
This is where the tempo is sped up or slowed down at the discretion of the performer.
Ravel
could not even tolerate rubato (lol).
However, if there is no rubato at all, the music becomes mechanical.
So, what did he do? He wrote the music in such a way that if you played it "exactly as written," it would naturally sound like rubato.
"Pianists who play my works just need to play them exactly as written."
But even back then, there were people who thought, "Doesn't that leave no room for freedom in performance?"
To such people, Ravel reportedly said this:
"Pianists are the slaves of the composer."
Slaves, you say? (lol)
In any case, works created by a Ravel with that kind of personality end up feeling strange if the performer takes too much liberty.
This is also true for "Jeux d'eau" (Water Games).
It is interesting that the beauty of the work emerges when played inorganically without injecting emotion.
(Note: "Inorganic" is not the same as "unmusical"!)
Those who imitate him
Many composers seem to have been influenced by the expressive techniques in "Jeux d'eau," and Debussy is one of them.
The middle section of "Jeux d'eau," the part that builds up the most.
(Around 2:30 in the video above)
When you listen to this part, you think,
"Wow!"
right?
Debussy imitates that effect in his own music.
Building tension by repeating the same musical figure
Rapidly alternating notes between both hands
A sudden sweep from the highest register to the lowest
He uses these kinds of build-up techniques in the climax of his work titled "L'Isle joyeuse."
(Around 6:00 in the next video)
Of course, the effect is outstanding!
I have played both pieces, and
"They're exactly the same, haha."
That's what I thought.
There are others, too.
In the final section of "Jeux d'eau," where intricate notes move in the high register while a melody is played in the low register.
(Around 4:50 in the previous video)
Debussy incorporates this effect in "Pagodes" from his suite
"Estampes." (Around 3:50 in the next video)
It's convenient to abstract and borrow other people's ideas, but
this feels a bit blatant, haha.
Well, it just goes to show that "Jeux d'eau" is such a captivating piece that it makes you want to imitate it! Haha.
Thank you for reading until the end!
Have a great day today!
(The cover photo for this post was a lake in the Peruvian Andes!)
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