Ravel: La Valse, M.72 (Ozawa)

Ravel prefaces the score of La Valse as such:
"Swirling clouds give glimpses of couples of waltzers. The clouds gradually dissipate: we can see an immense hall populated by a whirling crowd.
The scene gradually lights up. The light from the chandeliers shines in the fortissimo.
An imperial court, circa 1855."

The narrative proposed by Ravel in this piece is divided into four parts.

Part 1 - "The Birth of the Waltz"
The hazy atmosphere described in the preface is achieved by means of soft string tremolos in the lowest register (00:13). Basses, harp and timpani imprint the characteristic triple-meter waltz rhythm (00:19).
Ravel then proceeds to present the three main rhythmic motifs of the piece (M1, M2 and M3). Each one of these motifs will give birth to a waltz based on the same rhythm (W1, W2 and W3).
00:27 - M1
01:05 - M2
01:19 - M3
01:29 - W1 (based on M1)
02:13 - W2 (based on M2)
02:47 - W3 (based on M3)

Part 2 - "The Heydey of the Waltz"
The clouds have dissipated and the hall reveals itself. In this part, Ravel presents a highly stylized view of the Viennese waltz, consisting of a succession of waltz melodies (eight of them in total). He ensures the coherence of the piece by connecting each one of these waltzes to one of the three rhythmic motifs introduced in the first part.
Ravel also employs various techniques that throw us back to the Viennese waltz à la Johann Strauss, such as the use of symmetrical phrases (in ABAB form). However, this metrical stability will start to crumble in W11 as each phrase becomes shorter and shorter, which is just a glimpse of the chaos to come in the next parts.
02:54 - W4
04:01 - W5
04:28 - W6
04:59 - W7
05:14 - W8
05:50 - W9
06:32 - W10
07:08 - W11

Part 3 - "The Decline of the Waltz"
Ravel's obsession with machines, clocks and mechanical objects is obvious in a piece like Boléro, but it also become apparent in the third part of La Valse. In this part, various motifs and waltzes heard previously follow one another in a completely frantic and chaotic manner, like an infernal dancing machine. Dynamic contrasts are exacerbated and the harmony becomes blurred by increasingly present dissonances. This part concludes with one the of the most striking buildups in the entire repertoire, an unstoppable crescendo that spans over a full minute of music and five octaves (09:43 to 10:39).
07:39 - M1
07:48 - M3
07:57 - W1
08:06 - M2
08:11 - M3
08:19 - W12 (not heard before)
08:29 - M3
08:37 - W8
08:54 - M3
08:58 - W7
09:02 - M3
09:09 - M3+W7
09:24 - W6
09:43 - W9

Part 4 - "The Death of the Waltz"
An absolutely massive drop on the second beat of the bar (10:39) launches the fourth and last part that will showcase the complete self-destruction of the waltz. Ravel does that by suppressing the very essence of the waltz: its characteristic rhythm. By putting oversized accents on the second beat (11:27), the meter becomes unstable. The music becomes louder, more dissonant and more anarchic than ever, and ends with a truly cataclysmic climax.
10:39 - W10
10:57 - M3
11:21 - W3
11:35 - W4
11:38 - M3
11:44 - Final climax

The credit for the analysis goes to Benjamin Lassauzet.

The Boston Symphony has a great tradition of playing French music. Indeed, its dynasty of French conductors (Pierre Monteux, Charles Munch) gave this orchestra its characteristic sound and clarity. Ozawa has greatly contributed to maintaining this tradition, being a great interpreter of French music himself. His recordings of French repertoire (Berlioz, Fauré, Ravel, Poulenc, Messiaen...) are consistently top-notch, if not modern references.
His take on La Valse has the perfect mix of elegance and violence, and his pitiless assault on the final pages is especially impressive.

The Ravel playlist:    • RAVEL  
The Symphonic Poems playlist:    • Symphonic Poems