Gaspard de la Nuit, a 3-movement work by Maurice Ravel, is based on a poem of the same name by Aloysius Bertrand. The title can be translated as “Caspers of the Night.” Bertrand’s poem is a spine-chilling Gothic work that speaks of all manner of scary things, some that go “bump” in the night. Ravel brings Bertrand’s words to life through music, using clever pianistic techniques to convey three different sections of Bertrand’s poem.
Structure of Gaspard
Gaspard de la Nuit It is made up of three movements: Ondine, Le Gibet and Scarbo in respective order. Although the suite is certainly no Classical sonata, the 3 pieces are structurally classical. There is a beginning, a development, and a return to the beginning theme in each of the movements. The numerous key changes, rhythmic changes and tonal ambiguity in some instances leave no doubt that this suite is not Classical.
Ondine
Ondine is a water nymph, or siren, who uses her mesmerizing voice to lure unsuspecting sailors to their death on the rocks. Ravel uses arpeggiated broken chords to convey the rippling water. The repeated pianissimo “murmuring” of the right hand can be heard as Ondine’s song, beckoning sailors to their doom. As the piece develops, the rising volume and expanding range of the keys hints at crashing waves sending a ship onto the rocks. Ondine ends as inconspicuously as it began, murmuring into nothingness.
Le Gibet
Bertrand’s poem describes a man observing a grisly scene: a man hanging in a gibbet at the edge of town. Ravel’s piece echoes the macabre description. A throbbing Db is heard throughout, mimicking a death knell. The staid, soft piece is marked with accents, perhaps the echo of the bells. Sharp dissonances might convey strong emotions the observer could have felt. The Db that begins Le Gibet ends it as well.
Scarbo
Scarbo is a gnome-like creature of the night with evil inclinations. He revels in scaring people, stealing household objects and being an all-around poltergeist. A bane for pianists, Scarbo is a pianistic tour de force. It is fast and technically difficult. The astonishing amount of chromaticism sounds like something from a nightmare: frantic, all over the piano, madly running from one terrifying scene to the next.
Heard as “just some piece,” it can be difficult to appreciate this suite by Ravel. Just knowing what the music talks about−a treacherous siren, a gibbeted man, an evil goblin−makes a huge difference in how one relates to and understands the music. For more about Impressionistic music, read Intro to Impressionistic Music.
Sources: Eccles, Alexander. Gaspard de la Nuit: Horror and Elegance
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