Pavane pour une infante defunte (Pavane For Dead Princess) Cover Image

Pavane pour une infante defunte (Pavane For Dead Princess): Horn Book

$5.95 USD
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Pavane pour une infante defunte (Pavane For Dead Princess) Cover Image
Pavane pour une infante defunte (Pavane For Dead Princess): Horn Book

Pavane pour une infante defunte (Pavane For Dead Princess): Horn Book

By Maurice Ravel / arr. Alfred Piguet

Item: 36-M215791
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Description
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 curiousity 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." This version for horn and piano has been transcribed by Alfred Piguet.

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Additional Details
Series: Master Brass Series - LudwigMasters
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 1-62-876260-8
ISBN13: 978-1-62-876260-0
UPC: 676737644659
SKU: 36-M215791
Instrumentation: Horn and Piano

More about this title

About the Composer: Maurice Ravel

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was a French composer whose fastidious approach to orchestration and harmonic color made him one of the most influential voices of the early twentieth century. His gift for transcription and reimagining, both of his own works and those of others, reveals a composer deeply invested in how music sounds across different instrumental combinations. Ravel's orchestrations remain standard repertoire because they expand rather than overshadow the original conception.

Why we love this

This transcription offers horn students access to one of the Romantic era's most elegant melodic lines without requiring a full orchestra. The piece sits comfortably in the horn's lyrical register and rewards players who can shape a long phrase with restraint and warmth. Programming it alongside contemporary works creates a bridge between impressionist sensibility and modern solo repertoire.

What to expect

Graceful and contemplative, this pavane evokes a stately procession through a baroque palace rather than a funeral march. The music unfolds with unhurried nobility, full of harmonic color and gentle shifts that invite the performer to shape details with refinement and care.

Who it's for

This arrangement suits advanced high school hornists and college students seeking substantial solo repertoire that tests musicality rather than technical pyrotechnics. It's an ideal choice for recital programs, audition preparation, or concert performances where elegance and interpretive depth matter more than virtuosity.

How to get the most out of it

  • Approach the phrasing as if the horn is singing rather than announcing; Ravel wrote this for solo voice first, so treat each passage as vocal melody would be shaped.
  • Balance your tone in the middle register to match the introspective character; the piano should support but never overwhelm.
  • Let the pavane's stately pulse breathe naturally rather than metronomically. The dance quality emerges through gentle momentum, not strict tempo.

How to use it

Pair this with other early twentieth-century European solo works to create a thematic recital exploring impressionism and neo-classicism. Its moderate length and accessible difficulty make it an excellent opening or closing work on a varied concert program featuring multiple soloists.

Skills your students will build

  • Long-phrase shaping across the horn's comfortable middle range
  • Sensitivity to harmonic movement and underlying piano accompaniment
  • Rubato and subtle tempo flexibility within a metric framework
  • Sustained tone production without forcing volume in lyrical passages

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