Regarding Ravel's precocity, Vladimir Jankélévitch commented, "He begins where others end." He further stated, "This means that from as early as 1902, he was already demonstrating the mastery of a great artist. Therefore, unlike Fauré, who progressed gradually and always in the same direction, Ravel, at the age of twenty-seven, possessed the stature of a master, made no errors, and thereafter enriched himself according to the demands of each moment."

After 1907, Ravel produced works that successively incorporated exoticism and folk music. The first piece of Deux mélodies hébraïques (1914) is "Kaddish," based on an Aramaic liturgical text. The dominant G note of C minor resonates as a drone, unfolding a sorrowful yet fervent melody for the deceased. The song, beginning mysteriously, is drawn into fervor by arpeggios that imitate a harp. Just as Ravel entrusted the imitation of the cimbalom in Tzigane (1924) to the piano luthéal (an instrument for which Belgian organ builder Georges Cloetens had just obtained a patent in 1919), it is evident that Ravel sought mimicry from the piano according to the demands of each work.

This work can be called a masterful arrangement, as it compromises none of Ravel's aesthetics. The arranger, Alexander Siloti, is known as one of Liszt's last pupils and as Rachmaninoff's cousin. Let's begin by focusing on the accompaniment part, excluding the melody. With long pedals, dissonances ripple like marble, revealing a beautiful otherworldly realm. As arpeggios are layered, the sound becomes more fervent, eventually reaching an ecstatic expression amidst a tumultuous cascade of dissonances. Meanwhile, the vocal part frequently employs melisma, so please listen to a performance of the original song. Capturing the unique way of swaying and notating it in the score will be a valuable experience for music study.

References

• Vladimir Jankélévitch, Ravel (translated by Tatsuo Fukuda), Hakusuisha.
• Hans Stuckenschmidt, Maurice Ravel: His Life and Work (translated by Tatsuji Iwabuchi), Ongaku no Tomo Sha.

Related Links

• A guide to the Piano luthéal
  https://youtu.be/n5VpzwrTkfI
• Madeleine Grey songs Kaddisch
  https://youtu.be/V5OHxLqiTsc
  Recording by Madeleine Grey, the premiere performer.