Le Tombeau de Couperin

Ravel's "Le Tombeau de Couperin" was originally composed as a piano suite between 1914-1917 and was arranged in 1919 in an orchestral version featuring four of the six original movements. The work characteristically combines French Baroque forms with Ravel's refined impressionistic harmonies and his masterful art of orchestration. Each movement was originally dedicated to a friend of the composer who had fallen in World War I.

The suite demonstrates Ravel as a master of stylistic synthesis: Baroque dance forms such as the forlane, minuet, and rigaudon are filtered through his modern musical language without losing their original elegance. The orchestration is distinguished by transparent textures and delicate color blends that underscore Ravel's reputation as one of the greatest orchestrators of his time.

The work is considered exemplary of French neoclassicism of the early 1920s and stands in the tradition of French "tombeaux" – memorial pieces dedicated to earlier masters. Ravel's respectful homage to François Couperin combines nostalgia with an unsentimental, crystal-clear musical language that is typical of his mature style.