Valses nobles et sentimentales (Ravel)
| Valses nobles et sentimentales | |
|---|---|
| Waltzes by Maurice Ravel | |
Ravel in 1913 | |
| Published | 1911 |
| Movements | eight |
| Scoring | piano (also: orchestra) |
The Valses nobles et sentimentales (French: "Noble and Sentimental Waltzes") are a suite of waltzes composed by Maurice Ravel. Its title was chosen in homage to Franz Schubert, who had released collections of waltzes in 1823 entitled Valses nobles and Valses sentimentales. The original piano version were published in 1911; an orchestration by the composer was released the following year.
The set are epigraphed by a quotation from Ravel's friend, the Symbolist poet Henri de Régnier: "…le plaisir délicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile" ('the delicious and forever-new pleasure of a useless occupation'), derived from his 1904 book Les recontres de Monsieur de Bréot.
The suite contains an eclectic blend of Impressionist and Modernist music, which is especially evident in the orchestrated version.