DOWNLOAD

RAVEL – Piece en forme de Habanera (1907) – FOUR CELLOS

Other Identification:
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) originally composed his “Pièce en forme de Habanera” as ‘Vocalise etude en forme de Habanera’ for bass voice and piano in 1907. The musical material for Vocalise is believed to be derived from Ravel’s opera ‘L ’Heure espagnole’, on which he was working in early 1907.

Ravel’s later named ‘Vocalise – Etude en forme d’Habanera’ may have been reset as a study in contemporary style for students at the Paris Conservatoire, and indeed the demanding vocal line of the piece, with its scales, trills and staccato passages, it is technically challenging. It is in essence a short song without words. Ravel took as a model the habanera, a slow and sensual Spanish dance. He was fascinated by the music of Spain and used it as the basis for a virtuoso exercise for the bass voice.

He later he transcribed the work for cello and piano, a transcription that preserves all the virtuosity of the original, and of this other arrangements have been made for many other instruments.

Movements or sections:
Miniature

Instrumentation:
QUARTET OF FOUR CELLOS
Arranged by David Johnstone

2 PDFs:
1] – General Score
2] – All individual parts

Approximate difficulty:
Quite difficult in the sense of chamber music playing
It’s now presented as a cello quartet, a real quartet in all the chamber music realms; generally the first and second parts contain the more melodic importance but all parts contribute in equal importance. This is more suitable for advanced players. Although a score is offered one should know how previously ‘how it goes’ (hear varying performances!) before attempting to rehearse it in quartet – the sense of pulsation and rhythm are especially difficult to unify, but the music can show off the interpretative capabilities of high-level students and professionals!

Dedicatee of this presentation (if applicable):
This version is dedicated to the creative cellist and Professor Maria-Eugenia Maffi as a sign of gratitude for her continual support.

Go back to this section and continue searching for more music

Go to COLLECTION POINT to receive all selected items

Poster of Johnstone-Music

Who plays Johnstone-Music?

Johnstone Music has been performed by orchestras and conservatories worldwide, earning international recognition in cello repertoire.

Free sheet music

Instantly download a wide variety of scores – from cello solos and chamber works to orchestral parts and educational material