Advanced Harmony An Analysis of Ravels

extended harmonies, modes and scales

Daniel Berry 310274656

Berceuse Sur le nom de Gabriel Faure (1922)

- Piece begins with the melody suggesting two modes G Mixolydian (bars 1-3) and A Dorian (bars 4-
10). Chords also suggest A Dorian with Am7 (i) and E9 no 3
rd
(V) being used.
1


1
Here E9 refers to E dominant 9
th
, containing 3 salient pitches above the root the 3
rd
, flat 7
th
and 9
th
.

- Beginning bar 2
2
, chords imply the C Lydian Dominant mode (C D E F# G A Bb C) with C7 and E
dominant 11 b5(no 3
rd
), ie. E11b5. C Lydian Dominant being the 4
th
mode of the ascending G melodic
minor scale.
-Section almost creates a polytonality effect, with the melody employing the first three scale degrees
of E minor. However, countermelody in contrary motion (bars 9-12) suggests a C Mixolydian scale.
- Melody figure slowly ascending to the climax.
- Goes into E Octatonic beginning bar 12.

Le Tombeau de Couperin 1. Prelude (1914-1917)


2
There are no bar numbers in this score, so bar numbers will be referred to with 1 beginning at the start of the
fragment, even though it is not the first bar of the piece.

- Begins using E Pentatonic (E G A B D), but F#s begin to appear in bar 5 suggesting E Aeolian.
- The C#s in the second half of bar 7 and 8 suggest F# pentatonic, the pitches transposed up a step
from the beginning.
- Bars 10-13, the B Mixolydian b6 mode is used (the fifth mode of the ascending E melodic minor
scale). The same pitch collection as F sharp pentatonic with D# and G added.
-Bars 14-15 appear to be a descending sequence of some sort, but there is no pattern in the chord
sequence except for the chromatically descending bass line. Three voices are descending
chromatically here. Refer to Figure 1.
-However, there is a large scale sequence (or transposition) bars 18-20 is bars 14-16 transposed up
a minor seventh (except the very first chord of bar 18 is minor instead of major).
-The left hand resolving of the bottom two voices between bars 15 and 16 suggests traditional tonal
practices are influential for Ravel. The work is neoclassical.
-Bars 20-21 leading into bar 22 shows a succession of overlapping traditional cadences and
modulations further showing Ravels formal training.

Figure 1 Simplification of Bars 14-15 showing descending chromatic movement in three voices.

Gaspard De La Nuit 1. Ondine (1908)

- Bars 1-2 (3-4 of the piece) again show Ravels fondness for modes of the ascending melodic minor
scale, here employing B Lydian Dominant (4
th
mode of ascending F# melodic minor).

Gaspard De La Nuit 2. Le Gibet (1908)


- Here the A#s represent a bell tolling in a distant town.
- Bars 1 and the first half of bar 2 are an example of the many chord shapes that can be derived from
the Octatonic scale, this section arguably G Octatonic (bass note).
-Second half of bar 2 to bar 4 is notable for its descending chromatic movement in the second top
voice. Mostly descending 5
th
chord movement to go from G13(#9) third beat of bar 2) to C#13(#9)
(start of bar 4).
3
This is interesting because aside from the bass note, the two chords are comprised
of the same notes and form the same harmony, which gives the section a kind of meandering quality
in the sense that it didnt really go anywhere. G13#9 (G B F E A#) C#13#9 (C# E# B E A#) the notes
used to form the 3
rd
and 7
th
of each chord (B and F) switch roles, and the 13
th
and #9
th
(E and A#)
switch. Although the #9 of the C#13#9 resolves to the natural 9
th
of the chord a beat later.

3
Here C13 is defined as containing at least the three salient pitches above the root the third, flat seventh,
and 13
th
, ie. C E Bb A.
Jeux deau (1901)




- This piece, inspired by the sounds of water in nature, shows a technique that Ravel experiments
with numerous times here. He takes a pitch collection (usually presenting itself as chords and
arpeggios) and shifts them around by small intervals, usually by tone, semitone, or minor third.
- In the second half of bar 2, the dominant 9
th
sharp 11
th
chord shape is transposed a minor third
down every quaver beat, with the 9
th
becoming flattened on the last quaver beat.
-In bar 4, beats 3 and the first quaver beat of 4, a whole tone collection is used, before switching to
the second whole tone collection (a semitone above the first) on the last quaver beat.


- Here each crotchet beat is made up of a sonority that forms a C#13add9 (ie. C# E# B D# G# A#) such
that the seventh is in the lowest voice. This pitch collection shifts down a tone in the next beat. In
bar 2, the collection moves down by tone twice and then by semitone on the final beat.




- Two bars before the recap, Ravel takes the major triad in second inversion and moves it around
over a G# pedal. Refer to Figure 2 for a simplified analysis. These triads are embellished and
extended in the right hand.

Figure 2 Chordal basis with simplified rhythm two bars before recapitulation of Jeux deau




- Here each crotchet beat is made of a pitch collection representing the mixolydian mode which
shifts up and down by tone every beat. The left hand forms chords (B7 Emaj7 A7 Dmaj7) etc. which
creates a descending fifth sequence in bar 2, again reminiscent of classical harmony (along with the
Sonata form structure which this piece is based on).

Reference List
(All analyses and figures by the author)

Melodic Minor Scale and its Modes. Retrieved 27 November 2012 from
http://docs.solfege.org/3.21/C/scales/mel.html

Maurice Ravel. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 November 2012 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Ravel

List of compositions by Maurice Ravel. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 November 2012 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Maurice_Ravel

All scores sourced online, retrieved 27 November 2012 from
http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Ravel,_Maurice