In the 10/10 Earlham College Composer’s Forum, we will be discussing some issues linking jazz and classical idioms, and concentrating on the work of Maurice Ravel. Two pieces will be played:
1. The second movement of his Sonatine (Wikipedia has an audio file. There’s also audio on the EC moodle site.)
2. Herbie Hancock (the great jazz pianist) improvising on the second movement of the Piano Concerto in G-a recording with the conductorless Orpheus Chamber Ensemble. (Here’s a link to the recording on the EC moodle site.)
Ravel (1875-1937) had a strong interest in jazz, and was deeply influenced by George Gershwin. In fact the Concerto in G is almost an imitation of Gershwin’s style, so much so that Herbie’s recording appears on his album Gershwin’s World.
The element that I will concentrate on in the Forum is Ravel’s harmonic concept, and how influential it was on jazz music, especially players of Hancock’s generation. Feel free to comment before or after we meet!
2 responses so far ↓
1 Wondering // Sep 21, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Actually, the fact is that Gershwin was much more influenced by Ravel(he even wanted to study with Ravel, but Ravel rejected him, saying that Gershwin should become a first rate Gershwin rather than second rate Ravel). Ravel’s Piano Concerto G has nothing to do with Gershwins composing style and only takes very few inspirations, none of which are present in 2nd part of the mentioned concerto, which is based upon and inspired by Mozarts compositional techniques and forms of classicism(also according to Ravel’s own words).
Herbie’s album Gershwins world is really a joyful listening experience, but his take on pt.2 of Ravel’s Piano concerto G is a typical example of how to kill a typical non-jazz composition.
Thus calling Ravels late work an imitation of Gerswin is extremely off the radar.
2 Vasu // Jan 29, 2010 at 9:27 pm
I have to say that Herbie’s take on the 2nd movement is what got me into jazz.
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