L’heure espagnole Reduced Orchestration
l’heure espagnole
Maurice Ravel
Reduced Orchestration / Chamber Arrangement: violin, bassoon, harp, piano, percussion
This orchestral reduction (or, more accurately, ‘chamber arrangement’) of Ravel’s L’heure espagnole was originally conceived for 4 players (violin, bassoon, harp, piano), each player doubling with percussion. It was performed in this way by Mid Wales Opera with 16 performances across Wales during Nov/Dec 2018.
For most productions one or two separate percussionists may be desirable, increasing the number of musicians to five or six players. For full details of the percussion requirements please contact us.
For more background on L’heure espagnole and the creation of this chamber arrangement please visit here.
Score and parts have rehearsal numbers and bar numbers.
The large orchestra of Ravel’s masterful music was rendered by an ensemble of six. One must also cite Jonathan Lyness, who […] did the huge amount of skilled musical work needed to reduce large instrumentations for performance by the ensemble heard here”
The effective arrangement, by the musical director Jonathan Lyness, was a drastic but accomplished reduction […] he himself at the piano, with violin, bassoon and harp completing the quartet and each player adding percussion flourishes at strategic points. It was remarkably true to the spirit of the original”
In Lyness’s reduction of Ravel’s score, the original orchestral material can be covered by just four players. Slimmed-down this version may be, but its resourcefulness – with piano, bassoon, harp and violin doubling a multitude of percussion instruments – is a triumph of resizing”
The little orchestra was magical, playing a cleverly reduced edition of the score by Jonathan Lyness”
For more information or to hire this L’heure espagnole reduced orchestration, please contact us