description La Valse – Ravel Overview
La Valse is an orchestral work by Maurice Ravel, completed in 1920. Originally conceived as a ballet, the piece is subtitled a choreographic poem and evokes the culture of Vienna through the structure of a waltz that becomes increasingly dissonant and chaotic. Ravel described the work as a tribute to the grandeur of 19th-century Viennese society.
help La Valse – Ravel FAQ
Did Diaghilev's Ballets Russes ever perform La Valse?
No—Serge Diaghilev famously rejected La Valse after Ravel offered it to the Ballets Russes, reportedly telling Ravel it was a masterpiece but not a ballet. The rejection effectively ended their working relationship and deeply offended Ravel.
Is there a two-piano version of La Valse?
Yes, Ravel created both a solo piano transcription and a two-piano version of La Valse in addition to the full orchestral score. The two-piano version is frequently performed in recital and captures much of the orchestral texture through its expanded range.
What does La Valse depict musically?
La Valse evokes the glittering ballroom culture of imperial Vienna through sweeping waltz themes that progressively deteriorate into dissonance and chaos. Ravel described the work as a kind of apotheosis of the Viennese waltz, suggesting both homage and catastrophe.
When did Ravel compose La Valse?
Ravel completed La Valse in 1920, though he had been developing ideas for a Viennese tribute as early as 1906 under the working title Wien. The orchestral version was premiered that same year in Paris.
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