Thank you to Francois de Larrard for suggesting this piece to me. It's a neat piece and I enjoyed learning it.
Here is my version recorded this afternoon:

Ravel - Le tombeau de Couperin, III: Forlane

I know I slipped on a couple of the sharps and I totally missed one of the dotted rhythms, but this is the best take out of many.

This one is on my list of "to dos". I bought the score some centuries ago, oen it now and then and out it back.

I will concede I am more familiar with the orchestral version and quite frankly I have not noticed your errors, so they cannot be that bad. What I do notice (and I listened to the other recording on this site as comparison) is that you need to relax a bit, let it all be more fluid. I do not know how it is with you, everyone being (still in our enlightened world) different, but this is how I hear myself soon after I have learnt a piece: the notes are all there, but the hair is up, lips are pursed, tension is in the air. What do I do? I put the score away for a week (or sometimes even a month) then I come back to it and where before there was technique, there is also music.

This is something I have never noticed in the pieces you have revisited (Bartok - which I listen to now and then- and Granados), so maybe this is your case too.

Nice clear performance of this piece, which is far more tricky than it sounds. It could be a bit more relaxed and sultry overall. Some some parts are really nice, but some are a bit stiff and literal. A little more (subtle) rubato would be nice. Take care not to hurry in the dotted rhythm, it's all too easy to make the note after a dotted note slightly too short. The couple of tiny misses do not matter at all. I did not like the staccato in the high middle section, and the hiccuping bars just before the end (but these are awkward jumps in the LH so I see why it had to be so). The end is nicely done though, to be nitpicky, you ignored Ravel's 'sans ralentir'.

Thanks for listening, you guys. I probably could play it more relaxed if I had more time on the piece. But I did practice hard and it never really got much better. And yes, it is trickier than it sounds. There are a few places where the hands overlap and the fingers can get entangled, and sometimes my fingers got hooked on each other and I'd be stuck like that for a split second. Then my whole hand would sort of mash down on the keys, which really didn't sound that good...haha.

As far as the staccato/hiccupping bars; that's just my dumb attempt at adding some variety. I heard/saw of youtube video of a French pianist from bygone days do it, and I liked it so...well...I tried.


Ohhhhh....that's because I didn't pay attention to it...

I don't know this piece, but I liked it as I listened to your recording, Monica. The harmony and mood of this piece are not unfamiliar to me at all, even though I didn't play many Ravel myself except that I had worked hard on his Sonatine a long long time ago.
If I may dare to say something about your playing (to be constructive), I thought your playing is very clear and (probably) note-perfect, but slightly monotonous. I don't have the score, but I guess there are many instructions from the composer (including detailed dynamic signs), and it could be more multi-faceted.
Anyway thanks for sharing this recording. The listening was really a nice freshment to me

Thank you, Hye-Jin. This was new to me, as well. Some of the harmonies are quite jazzy, aren't they?
There are markings in the score like when to use the soft pedal, but there is a lot of repetition which is why I played some spots more detached. Actually, I just followed the phrase markings in those places. I tried also to vary the dynamics on repeats - maybe they didn't all come out that well...

Hi Monica,

I really enjoyed listening to your "Forlane". I've known this piece for a very long time, have meant to learn it, but never seem to get around to it. Despite my well-known aversion to dance forms, this is one of the exceptions for me. I love the modal character of the melody and the unexpected and often nostalgic harmonies. I think you played this piece quite well. It's a fine achievement and a wonderful piece to add to your repertoire.

I'm not sure if Artur Rubinstein played the entire Le Tombeau de Couperin, but he loved the "Forlane", often programming it as a standalone piece. He recorded it as well. Ravel wrote superb music as a rule--both impressionistic and also works of a more classical bent like this one, and overall it's probably one of his best--at least for me.

David

Hi David,
Thank you for listening. I also listened to Rubinstein play this on Youtube. He didn't take all the repeats, but neither did a couple of the other players I heard. I wasn't sure what to do, so I played everything!

Just wondering- have you gotten the harsh winter up where you are as some other East coast areas like New York and Boston? Even Washington DC has gotten tons of snow this year. Chicago has had a fairly normal winter this year. But we still have to get though February....

Hi Monica,
I'm so pleased you followed my suggestion of playing the Forlane ! And quite admirative about how short the time you spent to learn and to record it. I understand it is a definite difference between amateurs and professionals. Good amateurs can play almost all the repertoire, but professionals can learn a concerto within two weeks or so. You seem to approach the second category !
Regarding your rendition, I find it very clear and of very good taste, as usual. Your tempo is pretty sustained, which is a very important point. IMO, it could be a little faster ('plus allant' Ravel would say, especially in the last sections (after 5:18). If you keep this piece in your fingers, you will gain naturally ease and speed. What a pleasure to hear those incredible harmonies (some of which quite jazzy, as you wrote). Thank you for this very nice recording !

Thank you, Francois. It was a very nice suggestion; I may not have encountered it, otherwise.

I was little worried about what you would think about my version. I've been under pressure lately to hurry up and complete some of my little projects, but I would like to play this piece a bit faster, so I will keep practicing it.

You did not have to worry at all ! Another advice, if you allow me, Monica: to use slightly more pedal. Your recording sounds a little dry at some places. However, it may be only a lack of reverberation that you can add after recording...

Okay, I'll keep that in mind next time. Thank you, Francois!

That was beautifully played, Monica. You certainly have a deep feeling for Ravel!

Thank you, Raymond. And it's funny, because I was just re-reading some of your jokes earlier today. I love jokes....And your riddles too, even though I can't figure out a lot of them...

hi, Monica!

I love Ravel and all his piano works. but I'm not fond of this Forlane. your recording sounded very good to me. Most of the monotony is due to the piece itself.

My favorite recording of it is that one by Perlemuter.