Maurice Ravel

Pavane Pour une Infante Defunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess), M. 19

Originally written in 1899 by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) for solo piano, and later orchestrated by the composer, PAVANE POUR UNE INFANTE DÉFUNTE (PAVANE FOR A DEAD PRINCESS) remains one of the enduringly popular of Ravel's works, though the title can be a curiosity for many. Ravel said of the work, "Do not attach any importance to the title. I chose it only for its euphonious qualities. Do not dramatize it. It is not a funeral lament for a dead child, but rather an evocation of the pavane [a stately, 16th-century Spanish court dance] which could have been danced by such a little princess as painted by Velázquez." The original version for piano saw its first public performance on April 5, 1902 by Spanish pianist Ricardo Viñes, and Ravel's orchestration premiered in Manchester, England on February 27, 1911 under the baton of Sir Henry Wood. This Kalmus edition of the 1910 orchestration has been edited by Carl Simpson. Instrumentation: 2.1.2.2: 2.0.0.0: Hp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).