Ravel – Le tombeau de Couperin, Forlane

Two versions of the hypnotic and gentle Forlane from Ravel's suite Le Tombeau de Couperin.

It’s got a bit late, so I fancied something gentle for the playlist today. I love the gentle ticking-clock feeling of this movement from Ravel’s suite Le tombeau de Couperin. The suite is a homage to baroque music, and each movement is dedicated to the memory of Ravel’s friends who were killed in World War I. It ought to be sad, but it’s not really, it’s about accepting loss, and choosing to remember the nice things. This movement is for the painter Gabriel Deluc, so I’ve used one of his paintings, La Danse dans le bois sacré to go with the post.

I couldn’t decide whether to share the piano version or Ravel’s later orchestration, so here are both.

Two versions of the hypnotic and gentle Forlane from Ravel's suite Le Tombeau de Couperin.

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