Pavane for a Dead Princess - Maurice Ravel

[engelbach]

I heard a lovely jazz version of this on Pandora the other day, so I thought I would do my own version of it.

For the melody, the sheet music is in the public domain and can easily be found online.

Pavane-Rev JE - Maurice Ravel

Cheers,
Jer

 

[Keith88]

Was it the Steve Kuhn version? I find his playing to be extremely tasteful. Or, as I suspect, the Art Farmer swinging version?

Hello from NJ,
Keith

 

[engelbach]

Keith,

I don't know. I just heard it while I was doing something else, so I didn't check who it was.

I suppose it must have been Kuhn, since it was on piano.

Cheers,
Jer

 

[Keith88]

Several days ago, Jerry Engelbach posted a chord chart of a jazz piano version of "Pavane For A Dead Princess" by Maurice Ravel. This version was almost certainly by Steve Kuhn which can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTSV0T_URJo. Although I am a fan of Ravel and Kuhn, I had never heard this wonderful performance until now, so thank you Jer!

"Pavane pour une infante défunte" was composed in 1899 by Ravel when he was a student at the Paris Conservatory. It is for solo piano; however, Ravel eventually arranged it for a small orchestra. The opening section of twelve bars consists of two phrases. In Kuhn's version, he uses the first phrase as an introduction and creates a AA'BA'' head using the second phrase as the basis of the A sections. Each section is eight measures long (except for the last A, which is extended to ten measures), with Kuhn doubling the note values of the original score. The piece is presented as a slow (approximately 110 bpm) bossa or samba, and is very lovely.

Here is my chord chart of the head, which is suitable for improvisation as well. It does not contain an introduction but does have a simple tag ending which I wrote. As Jer points out, the piano score, as well as arrangements for solo instruments with piano, can be found all over the web. Listen to the Kuhn version and you will pick up his melodies. The chart works well with the Bossa Acoustic style at 110 bpm.

I have created a lead sheet which I haven't posted because I don't know if doing so would violate copyright regulations or get me in trouble with the forum moderators. I'll post it if I get permission to do so.

Pavane For A Dead Princess - Steve Kuhn (after Ravel)

I have a solo piano gig on Friday and I'll be including this tune (with iRP backing). Although I always mute the chord instrument when I play, for this selection, I'll make an exception and use the rhythm guitar as part of the backup.

 

[pdxdjazz]

I have created a lead sheet which I haven't posted because I don't know if doing so would violate copyright regulations or get me in trouble with the forum moderators. I'll post it if I get permission to do so.

The forum's mission is sharing iReal pro chord charts. (In iRp format)
Links to relevant external content can be very helpful (eg.youtube)

There are sites that share sheet music
http://www.pianoaround.com/5-best-web-sites-for-free-sheet-music/

MuseScore might also be an option
https://musescore.com/sheetmusic?text=Pavane+for+a+dead+princess

A link to a public photo-sharing site archived image could also work in lieu of an attachment possibly containing protected material (which would become forums content).

While my opinion isn't the final word, in light of the iReal book history I'm cautious when it comes to potential copyright infringement issues. Imagine the hassle and disruption that could be associated with some sort of copyright enforcement action.

https://forums.irealpro.com/threads/Copyrights-and-rules.48/

Thank you for your contributions
)BOB

 

[engelbach]

Several days ago, Jerry Engelbach posted a chord chart of a jazz piano version of "Pavane For A Dead Princess" by Maurice Ravel. This version was almost certainly by Steve Kuhn which can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTSV0T_URJo. Although I am a fan of Ravel and Kuhn, I had never heard this wonderful performance until now, so thank you Jer!

"Pavane pour une infante défunte" was composed in 1899 by Ravel when he was a student at the Paris Conservatory. It is for solo piano; however, Ravel eventually arranged it for a small orchestra. The opening section of twelve bars consists of two phrases. In Kuhn's version, he uses the first phrase as an introduction and creates a AA'BA'' head using the second phrase as the basis of the A sections. Each section is eight measures long (except for the last A, which is extended to ten measures), with Kuhn doubling the note values of the original score. The piece is presented as a slow (approximately 110 bpm) bossa or samba, and is very lovely.

Here is my chord chart of the head, which is suitable for improvisation as well. It does not contain an introduction but does have a simple tag ending which I wrote. As Jer points out, the piano score, as well as arrangements for solo instruments with piano, can be found all over the web. Listen to the Kuhn version and you will pick up his melodies. The chart works well with the Bossa Acoustic style at 110 bpm.

I have created a lead sheet which I haven't posted because I don't know if doing so would violate copyright regulations or get me in trouble with the forum moderators. I'll post it if I get permission to do so.

Pavane For A Dead Princess - Steve Kuhn (after Ravel)

I have a solo piano gig on Friday and I'll be including this tune (with iRP backing). Although I always mute the chord instrument when I play, for this selection, I'll make an exception and use the rhythm guitar as part of the backup.

Keith,

I had heard Steve Kuhn's version, but my version was taken directly off the Ravel score.

The piece was published before 1922 (1899 actually) and is in the public domain, so there would be no copyright restrictions on providing a lead sheet.

Cheers,
Jer

 

[pdxdjazz]

The piece was published before 1922 (1899 actually) and is in the public domain, so there would be no copyright restrictions on providing a lead sheet.

Thanks Jer.
Given that the piece is more than 100 years old,
Sharing a your lead sheet shouldn't cause a problem.
)BOB

 

[Keith88]

The issue is that the lead sheet is a transcription of the head from Steve Kuhn's recording, not from the original score by Ravel. That's where there might be a copyright issue.

 

[pdxdjazz]

The issue is that the lead sheet is a transcription of the head from Steve Kuhn's recording, not from the original score by Ravel. That's where there might be a copyright issue.

Thanks Keith,
If it happened to get posted elsewhere (eg. a jpg image on a free photo site) sharing the link here shouldn't be an issue.
)BOB

 

[Keith88]

I found another jazz version of this lovely piece by Ravel. This one is by Italian jazz pianist Massimo Farao: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdJyfaQIkWU. There is a lot of his tasteful playing on Youtube. Check out his version of the 1905 waltz "Fascination" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPQnkAnRD7M.

 

[pdxdjazz]

Lovely x2
)BOB

 

[engelbach]

Thanks much, Keith.

People may or may not remember the popular song based on Pavanne, called The Lamp Is Low, by Peter DeRose, Bert Shefter, and Mitchel Parish.

It was first recorded by Mildred Bailey in 1939. Later many people covered it, including Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.

When the song was written, Ravel was still alive, so I wonder how he felt about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i66wAEfeBYM

Cheers,
Jer

 

[Keith88]

Now that you bring it up…I do remember "The Lamp Is Low," although I didn't last year when you started this thread. Interestingly, Steve Kuhn did not name his performance of essentially the same musical material "The Lamp Is Low," but rather used "Pavane" as the title. Perhaps he did not remember the tune's existence, although he had the music in his memory.

A historical note: Ravel died in 1937, before DeRose's song was recorded and became popular.

 

[engelbach]

Now that you bring it up…I do remember "The Lamp Is Low," although I didn't last year when you started this thread. Interestingly, Steve Kuhn did not name his performance of essentially the same musical material "The Lamp Is Low," but rather used "Pavane" as the title. Perhaps he did not remember the tune's existence, although he had the music in his memory.

A historical note: Ravel died in 1937, before DeRose's song was recorded and became popular.

True.

But I read that the tune was written in 1930, so he may have known about it.

Cheers,
Jer

 

[Keith88]

In fact Jer, you were correct. There was a recording by Kay Kyser in 1930: https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/108131. I wrote before I had thoroughly done my research. Sorry.

 

[Keith88]

This is a strange situation. Supposedly, there was that recording by Kay Kyser in 1930. However, the copyright notice on the lead sheet in the New Real Book volume III is dated 1939; perhaps the copyright was registered years after the song was actually composed. I'll try to track this down the next time I go to the library as there is a reference book there [The Great Song Thesaurus by Roger Lax and Frederick Smith (Oxford U Press, 1984)] that might have definitive information about this issue.

 

[engelbach]

Keith,

Yes, I'm curious about that, too. Possibly 1939 is when it was copyrighted by the publisher.

Cheers,
Jer