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Maurice Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin: Human emotions, grief,

and the history of the Tombeau
Tin V. La
James Madison University

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Tombeau" (2023). Dissertations, 2020-current. 103.
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Maurice Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin: Human Emotions, Grief, and the History of

the Tombeau

Tin Vi La

A Doctor of Musical Arts Document submitted to the Graduate Faculty of

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY

In

Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the degree of

Doctor of Musical Arts

School of Music

April 2023

FACULTY COMMITTEE:

Committee Chair: Dr. Gabriel Dobner

Committee Members/ Readers:

Dr. Lori Piitz

Dr. Andrew Connell

 Acknowledgement

I would like to thank my piano professor, Dr. Gabriel Dobner, who has guided me

through my doctoral studies and offered me so much help in completing this document. I

owe much to my committee members: Dr. Lori Piitz and Dr. Andrew Connell. I

appreciate their willingness to work on my document during their summer break. Their

comments have greatly assisted me in the process of polishing this document. A special

thanks to my former piano professor Daisy De Luca Jaffe who introduced me to the

music of Maurice Ravel. Finally, I am grateful for my God who enabled me to complete

my degree and surrounded me with great family, teachers, and friends.

ii
 Table of Contents

Acknowledgement………………………………………………………………………...ii

List of musical examples…………………………………………………………………iv

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………...vi

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..1

I. The History of the Tombeau…..…………………………………………………..4

The Term Tombeau in French Renaissance Literature

The Tombeau development in the 17th-century Keyboard Literature
Johann Jacob Froberger
Louis Couperin
Jean Henry D’Anglebert

II. New Wine in Old Bottles………………………………………………………...14

Le Tombeau and the Tombeaux

Le Tombeau de Couperin and the Baroque Keyboard Suite
Prélude
Fugue
Forlane
Rigaudon
Menuet
Toccata

III. Music and Human Emotions……………………………………………………..29

IV The Journey through Human Emotions in Times of Grief………………………33

Ravel’s Musical Intention

Mourning and consolation from a psychoanalytical perspective
Mourning and consolation from a philosophical perspective
Mourning and consolation and the theory of musical equilibration

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….49

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………..52

iii
 List of Musical Examples

Example 1.1 Ravel, “Ronsard À Son Âme,” mm. 1-9…………………………………..5

Example 1.2 Froberger, “Tombeau fait à Paris sur la mort de Monsieur Blancheroche,”

mm. 1-5……………………………………………………………………7

Example 1.3 Froberger, “Tombeau fait à Paris sur la mort de Monsieur Blancheroche,”

mm. 28-36…………………………………………………………………9

Example 1.4 Couperin, “Tombeau de Mr. de Blancrocher,” mm. 1-11……………….10

Example 1.5 Couperin, “Tombeau de Mr. de Blancrocher,” mm. 17-26……………...11

Example 1.6 Couperin, “Tombeau de Mr. de Blancrocher,” mm. 38-62……………...11

Example 1.7 D’Anglebert, “Tombeau de Mr. de Chambonnieres,” mm. 1-5…………12

Example 2.1 D’Anglebert, Pieces de Clavecin, “Prelude in G major”………………...19

Example 2.2 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Prélude,” mm. 1-2…………………..20

Example 2.3 the subject from Le Tombeau de Couperin’s Fugue……………………..21

Example 2.4 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Fugue,” mm.50-53………………….21

Example 2.5 Francois Couperin’s Forlane, mm. 1-12…………………………………23

Example 2.6 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Forlane,” mm. 1-4…………………..23

Example 2.7 Louis Couperin, Rigaudon, mm. 1-3…………………………………….24

Example 2.8 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Rigaudon,” mm. 1-4………………..24

Example 2.9 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Rigaudon,” mm. 37-40……………..24

Example 2.10 D’Anglebert, Menuet in G from Pieces de Clavecin, mm. 1-8………….25

Example 2.11 Louis Couperin, Menuet in G minor from Premier Livre, mm. 1-6……..25

Example 2.12 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Menuet,” mm. 1-12…………………26

Example 2.13 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Toccata,” mm. 1-10…………………27

iv
Example 2.14 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Toccata,” mm. 57-60………………..27

Example 2.15 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Toccata,” mm. 51-56………………..27

Example 2.16 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Toccata” mm. 217-221……………...28

Example 4.1 Lone bird motive from Ravel’s “Oiseaux Tristes,” mm. 1-3…………….36

Example 4.2 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Forlane,” mm. 30-34………………..37

Example 4.3 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Toccata,” mm. 1-10…………………38

Example 4.4 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Rigaudon,” mm. 1-2………………...40

Example 4.5 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Rigaudon,” mm. 37-44……………...41

Example 4.6 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Menuet,” mm. 9-20…………………42

Example 4.7 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Menuet,” mm. 51-62………………..42

Example 4.8 Plainsong Lacrimosa, Libre Usualis, Tournai, Desclée, 1956, p.1812…..43

Example 4.9 Fauré, “Libera me,” Requiem…………………………………………….43

Example 4.10 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Menuet,” mm. 33-40………………..43

Example 4.11 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Menuet,” mm. 108-112…………….44

Example 4.12 Ravel, Jeux d’Eau, mm. 84-86…………………………………………..45

Example 4.13 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Prélude,” mm. 91-94……………….45

Example 4.14 Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Forlane,” mm. 139-146…………….48

v
 Abstract

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) dedicated Le Tombeau de Couperin (1914-1917) to

17th-century French music and his friends who died in World War I. Although the work

has an elegiac purpose, its music does not correlate with the common characteristic of an

elegiac work. This document investigates the elegiac aspect of this work through the

scope of psychoanalysis, philosophy, and the theory of musical equilibration.

The first chapter briefly discusses the history of the "Tombeau" in 17th-century

French literature and music. The second chapter compares Ravel's Le Tombeau de

Couperin to three pieces titled "Tombeau" written by Johann Froberger (1616-1667),

Louis Couperin (1626-1661), and Jean Henry D'Anglebert (1629-1691) in order to

demonstrate Ravel's Le Tombeau stands out from those of the 17th century. As

preparation for chapter four, the third chapter dwells on the relationship between music

and human emotions and three theories attempting to explain this relationship. Chapter

four demonstrates how different musical elements from Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin

evoke feelings of mourning and consolation.

In conclusion, understanding how different musical elements from each

movement of Ravel's Le Tombeau elicit mourning and consolation changes how one

listens to and performs this fascinating work.

vi
 1

Introduction

I was first introduced to the music of Maurice Ravel in a piano lesson, following my

undergraduate recital in 2012. I still remember “Oiseaux Tristes” was the piece. My

fabulous teacher, the renowned Brazilian pedagogue and pianist Daisy de Luca Jaffe

managed to teach me this short piece in just one lesson. Ravel’s music was strange at first

but fascinating. I completed learning Miroirs and performed selections from this work for

my master’s degree recital. I thought it would be fitting to have my doctoral studies

culminate in yet another work by Ravel.

In 2019, I read a report about a trend in Korea where thousands of people

experienced death by lying inside a coffin. This activity seems to help people cope with

death, ease their stress brought on by their daily lives, and cherish the state of being alive.

After having been made aware of this phenomenon, I made the decision to have Ravel’s

Le Tombeau de Couperin be the center point of both my lecture recital and doctoral

document.

Death has always been a prevalent and intriguing theme in music. Through the

centuries, there has been a substantial amount of music written to commemorate the

deaths of others. These pieces can range from intimate solo instrumental works to more

large-scale pieces such as a Requiem mass. The rise of elegiac instrumental pieces dates

back to the seventeenth century, with pieces titled “Tombeau” written for lute and

harpsichord. In the nineteenth century, we have many elegiac pieces written by Stephen

Heller and Franz Liszt. These pieces are often titled elegies, but some bear different titles,

such as the “Funeral March” in the third movement of Frédéric Chopin’s B minor piano
 2

sonata op.35. At the turn of the twentieth century, pieces titled “Tombeau” reemerged

with Maurice Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin as the representative work.

The common characteristic of these elegiac works is their solemnity. These pieces

are usually set in a slow and stately tempo which compliments their purpose of portraying

grief. However, Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin is an exception. The music from each

movement of this work stands in contrast to our common understanding of elegiac works.

What was Ravel thinking? When Le Tombeau premiered in Paris in 1919, it was

criticized for being too “cheerful” for elegiac music. Ravel simply responded with his

famous quote, “the dead are sad enough in their eternal silence.”

This document aims to accomplish two goals. The first is to offer readers a brief

history of the tombeau in classical music from its first appearance in the seventeenth

century up to Ravel’s time. The latter is to expound on the elegiac aspect of Ravel’s Le

Tombeau de Couperin. I propose that the elegiac aspect in Ravel’s Le Tombeau is a

journey of human emotions in times of grief. To accomplish this, I will discuss the

connection between music and human emotions and explore how certain musical

elements in Ravel’s Le Tombeau correspond to human emotions during times of grief.

The first chapter briefly discusses the history of the tombeau and its development

in seventeenth-century keyboard music with an emphasis on the works of three prominent

composers: Johann Jacob Froberger (1616-1667), Louis Couperin (1626-1661), and Jean

Henry D’Anglebert (1629-1691). The second chapter compares Ravel’s Le Tombeau de

Couperin to pieces titled “Tombeau” written by these three composers. This comparison

will reveal how Ravel structures Le Tombeau differently from his predecessors to

transform the traditionally short dedicatory piece into a large-scale composition. The
 3

third chapter will discuss the connection between music and human emotions and briefly

examine three theories explaining this connection. Finally, the fourth chapter will

demonstrate the feelings of mourning and consolation found in Ravel’s Le Tombeau

based on the three theories discussed in chapter three.

 4

Chapter one

The History of the Tombeau

The Term Tombeau in French Renaissance Literature

Tombeau is a French term meaning “tomb.” Tombeau was a 16th-century literary genre

whose purpose was to commemorate the death of a loved one or a famous figure. The

idea originated from the ancient Greek epitaphs and epigrams and was inspired by

prominent poets such as Virgil, Dante, and Petrarch. 1 Philip Ford, a scholar of French

Renaissance literature, defines this literary form as “a collection of epitaphs written in

honour of a single person by a group of poets.” 2

One of the most important tombeau collections from the renaissance period, when

the genre experienced its peak popularity, was the tombeau dedicated to Marguerite de

Navarre, Le Tombeau de Marguerite de Valois. A queen and an important figure in

French renaissance poetry, Marguerite de Navarre (1492-1549) was the only woman to

write and publish her works during her lifetime. According to Ford, the purpose of this

collection was to memorialize the life and death of Marguerite de Navarre as well as to

promote its writers.3 This collection includes works from many leading poets of the 16 th

century, including Joachim du Bellay (1522-1560) and Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585).

Both poets belonged to the Pléiade, a group of seven French writers in the 16 th century

who strived to elevate French literature to the magnitude of the classics.

1
Ronnie Scharfman, "Tombeau of Abdelwahab Meddeb: Why Tombeau, why this
Tombeau?" Expressions maghrébines 19, no. 2 (2020): 199, doi:10.1353/exp.2020.0021.
2
Philip Ford, "5. Epitaphs and tombeaux,” in The Judgment of Palaemon, (Leiden, The
Netherlands: Brill, 2013), 127.
3
Ibid, 133-134.
 5

In this collection, Pierre de Ronsard’s “Hymne Triumphal” was a significant

poem that Beverly Ridgely, a scholar of French literature, considers “one of the finest

written in sixteenth-century France.” In this poem, Ronsard praised the Queen of

Navarre’s life and narrated that her body became a new star in heaven while her soul

dwelled eternally in the Empyrean.4 Pierre de Ronsard was a name with which French

composers, especially Maurice Ravel, must have been quite familiar. Ravel composed an

art song based on one of Ronsard’s poems, “À Son Âme” (Poem to my soul). The song

was titled “Ronsard À Son Âme” and written in the style of a chant with minimal piano

accompaniment using parallel fifths (Example 1.1).

Example 1.1—Ravel, “Ronsard À Son Âme,” mm. 1-9

After reaching its peak popularity in the 16th century, the term tombeau was rarely

used by poets. It was not until the 19th century that this poetic form witnessed a revival.

The 19th-century French poet Stéphane Mallarmé wrote Pour un tombeau d’Anatole for

his eight-year-old son. In the 20th century, Michel Duguy wrote Tombeau de Du Bellay

in 1973, dedicated to the great renaissance poet Joachim Du Bellay.

4
Beverly S. Ridgely, “The Cosmic Voyage in French Sixteenth-Century Learned Poetry,” in
Studies in the Renaissance, 1963, Vol. 10 (1963): 145, https://www.jstor.org/stable/2857053.
 6

The Tombeau development in 17th-century keyboard music

French composers began to adapt the idea of the literary tombeau into their music during

the 17th century. By this, I mean specific pieces as having a dedicatory purpose. Lute was

among the first musical instruments to make use of the idea with works from composers

such as the Gaultiers, Jacques Gallot, and Charles Morton. Works titled “Tombeau” later

made their way into the harpsichord repertoire with pieces written by three prominent

harpsichordists of the 17th century: Johann Froberger, Louis Couperin, and Jean Henry

D’Anglebert.

Johann Jacob Froberger

Johann Jacob Froberger (1616-1667) was a German composer, organist, and

harpsichordist and was considered a leading figure in the early Baroque. His Tombeau de

Monsieur Blancheroche was written to commemorate the death of lutenist Charles

Fleury, Sieur de Blancheroche (1605-1652), who died after falling down the stairs in the

arms of Froberger.5 The programmatic title Tombeau fait à Paris sur la mort de Monsieur

Blancheroche is followed with the description “lequel se joue fort lentement à la

discretion sans observer aucune mesure” which translates as “to be played very slowly at

the discretion of the performer without observing any measure” (Example 1.2).

Froberger’s instruction in his “Tombeau” reminds one of the characteristics of the

unmeasured preludes which were popular in France during the 17 th century, as observed

by musicologist Rebecca Cypess in her article. Cypess also suggests that Froberger’s

indication of “discretion” (at the player’s discretion) “involves a general suspension of

5
G. B. Sharp, “J. J. Froberger: 1614-1667: A Link between the Renaissance and the Baroque,”
The Musical Times 108, no. 1498 (1967): 1093, https://www.jstor.org/stable/951881.
 7

time.”6 This “suspension of time” resonates with the idea of grieving in Froberger’s

“Tombeau.” Enjoyable moments in human lives often pass by much more quickly than

distressing ones. In fact, musicologist David Moroney classifies the “Tombeau” as a

category of unmeasured preludes.7 Moreover, Richard Troeger, an expert on historical

performance, lists several characteristics that the unmeasured prelude and the

“Tombeau,” as a subcategory of it, have in common. He states, “This music is often free

in its rhythm, part-writing and formal construction; in its textural variety it manipulates to

the fullest advantage the inflexible dynamic of the harpsichord.” 8 The freedom of tempo

gives the piece a sense of improvisation, allowing the music and the performer to express

their emotion freely; in this case, it is grief.

Example 1.2—Froberger, “Tombeau fait à Paris sur la mort de Monsieur

Blancheroche,” mm. 1-5

6
Rebecca Cypess, “‘Memento mori Froberger?’ Locating the self in the passage of time,” Early
Music, Vol. 40, No. 1 (February 2012): 45, https://www.jstor.org/stable/41502352.
7
David Moroney, “The Performance of Unmeasured Harpsichord Preludes,” Early Music 4, no. 2
(1976): 145, https://www.jstor.org/stable/3125509.
8
Richard Troeger, “Metre in Unmeasured Preludes,” Early Music 11, no. 3 (1983): 341,
https://doi.org/10.1093/earlyj/11.3.340.
 8

One interesting feature of Froberger’s “Tombeau” is the omission of A-flat in the

key signature. Judging by the key signature, one might think the piece is in C Dorian

mode as the key signature includes only two flats, B-flat and E-flat. However, the music

soon confirms the C minor mode with the appearance of the A natural and B natural. One

can argue that this mode is a combination of C Dorian and the ascending of C melodic

minor (Example 1.2). “Missing” a flat in a minor key signature is not uncommon in

Froberger’s music. Dutch harpsichordist Bob Van Asperen mentioned in his article “A

New Froberger Manuscript” that there were two other instances where Froberger used a

missing-flat key signature. One is his “Lamention for Ferdinand III” (missing two flats

for F minor), and the other is Suite 19 (missing A-flat for C minor). 9

Even though the piece is in the style of an unmeasured prelude, Froberger uses the

cut time signature to organize the musical material. The role of cut time is most relevant

at the end of the work where the dominant pedal point lasts for seven measures before

finally landing on the tonic C. The descending C minor scale (with B natural and A

natural) ends the piece abruptly, aptly depicting the fall of Blancheroche down the stairs,

as pointed out by musicologist Howard Schott (Example 1.3). Schott also lists several

other characteristics of lute music found in Froberger’s Tombeau. Those are sans

chanterelle (without high register), the campanella effect (probably referring to the pedal

point G toward the end whose steady and deep bass sound reminds of the effect of

striking a large bell), and the tirata (rapid running scale).10

9
Bob Van Asperen, “A New Froberger Manuscript,” Journal of Seventeenth-Century Music 6, no.
1 (2007): Reference 16, https://sscm-jscm.org/v13/no1/vanasperen.html#ch13.

10
Howard Schott, "Froberger, Johann Jacob," Grove Music Online, (2001), Accessed 1 Mar. 2023,
https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-
9781561592630-e-0000010298.
 9

Example 1.3—Froberger, “Tombeau fait à Paris sur la mort de Monsieur

Blancheroche,” mm. 28-36

Louis Couperin

Louis Couperin (1626-1661) was a prominent keyboard composer of the 17th century

coming from the Couperin family, which produced several prominent composers. Louis

Couperin’s “Tombeau de Mr. de Blancrocher” was dedicated to the same Blancrocher of

Froberger’s “Tombeau.” Although there is no indication of rhythmic freedom, Couperin’s

“Tombeau” is treated as such due to its similar style, as we see in his unmeasured

preludes, as mentioned by Moroney. Moroney also notes that this tombeau begins with

the motive that is often found in Couperin’s unmeasured preludes, “an anacrusis scale

rising a fourth,” in this case, the leading note E ascending to the mediant A (Example

1.4).11 This motive permeates the first section of the “Tombeau.” In measure two, the

motive descends from G to D, and in measure five, the motive is augmented into eighth

notes with the last pitch being displaced an octave. Moreover, most musical material in

this section is also derived from the original motive.

11
David Moroney, “The Performance of Unmeasured Harpsichord Preludes,” 146.
 10

Example 1.4—Couperin, “Tombeau de Mr. de Blancrocher,” mm. 1-11

When describing the characteristic of Couperin’s “Tombeau,” musicologist

Michael Tilmouth mentions that the piece evokes both the “dramatic récit of the viol”

and the “sensitive style brisé of the lute.”12 According to musicologist David Ledbetter,

“style brisé” is the “irregular and unpredictable breaking up of chordal progressions” and

not the regular broken-chord pattern. 13 The second section clearly demonstrates this style

with the left and right hands outlining the chord progression in different rhythmic

variations. These variations certainly leave much to the discretion of the performer due to

the tombeau’s rhythmic freedom (Example 1.5).

The third section concludes the piece with a combination of the motivic material

from the first section and a fragment from the second. This ending helps the seemingly

spontaneous “Tombeau” become a cohesive work (Example 1.6)

12
Michael Tilmouth and David Ledbetter, "Tombeau (i)," Grove Music Online, 2001, Accessed 27
Oct. 2022,
https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-
9781561592630-e-0000028084.
13
David Ledbetter, "Style brisé," Grove Music Online, 2001, Accessed 2 Mar. 2023,
https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-
9781561592630-e-0000027042.
 11

Example 1.5—Couperin, “Tombeau de Mr. de Blancrocher,” mm. 17-26

Example 1.6—Couperin, “Tombeau de Mr. de Blancrocher,” mm. 38-62

 12

Jean Henry D’Anglebert

Jean Henry D’Anglebert (1629-1691) was an influential French composer,

harpsichordist, and organist. His complete works were published in 1689 titled Pieces de

Clavecin. One of his best-known works is “Tombeau de Mr. de Chambonnieres.” This

piece is dedicated to Jacques Champion de Chambonnières (1602-1672), a respected 17 th-

century French harpsichordist and composer. This tombeau is in triple meter, which

differs from the duple meter of the two previous tombeaux. It is in the key of D major

and begins with a figure similar to Couperin’s four stepwise notes E, F#, G, A (Example

1.7). However, this figure does not become a permeating motive for this short work.

Regardless of its notation, D'Anglebert’s “Tombeau,” under the influence of Froberger

and Couperin, is meant to be played freely.

Example 1.7—D’Anglebert, “Tombeau de Mr. de Chambonnieres,” mm. 1-5

When discussing D’Anglebert’s “Tombeau,” musicologist Susan McClary

mentions that most of the criticisms of this work target three features. First, D’Anglebert

does not make use of counterpoint. Second, the melody does not appear to be based on

any motive. Finally, the music does not modulate. In response to these criticisms,

McClary points out that those features are in fact what she treasures about D’Anglebert’s

“Tombeau.” She explained that imitative counterpoint often made a piece of music
 13

predictable, as would a motivic melody. Moreover, the lack of modulation gives the

music a sense of timelessness.14

These three “Tombeaux” by Froberger, Couperin, and D’Anglebert document the

keyboard tombeau’s adaptation from the lute “Tombeau.” Many characteristics of the lute

were adapted in these pieces, such as “style brisé,” “sans chanterelle,” and frequent

ornamentations. These adaptations are not specific to these Tombeaux but can often be

found in 17th-century harpsichord works. The term tombeau fell out of use in the 18th and

19th centuries and reemerged in Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, which embraced all

the possible characteristics of a modern piano. Ravel uses the term tombeau for his suite

is merely a respectful gesture to the 17th-century French musical past. In the next chapter,

I will examine how distinctive Ravel’s Tombeau is compared to the 17 th-century

Tombeaux.

14
A detailed defense against criticism of early Baroque French composers is found in her book,
Susan McClary, “Temporality and Ideology: Qualities of Motion in Seventeenth-Century French Music,”
in Desire and Pleasure in Seventeenth-Century Music, 1st ed., 241–57, University of California Press,
2012. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt1ppsj5.13.
 14

Chapter two

New Wine in Old Bottles

Compositions titled “Tombeau” became obsolete during the Classical period which

favored highly structured musical forms such as sonata-allegro form. There were also no

keyboard tombeaux written during the Romantic period. The Romantics concentrated

heavily on programmatic works, character pieces, and large-scale sonata structures. One

might find similar function between pieces titled “Tombeau” and “Funeral March,”

which several keyboard composers did compose during the classical and romantic

periods.15 However, this similarity is not under the scope of this research.

It was not until the 20th century that a composition titled “Tombeau” resurfaced,

with the appearance of Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin. Ravel had a special interest in

traditional forms as well as the French music history. This interest was most probably

rooted in his patriotism which was demonstrated by his attempt to serve in the French

military as a pilot. However, Ravel’s application to serve in the military was rejected due

to physical and general health issues.16 Moreover, Ravel’s upholding the French past was

partially influenced by the neoclassical movement, which started around the time of

World War I. This musical movement was “the result of anti-romanticism or anti-

expressionism, yet the aim was not to eliminate all expressiveness but to refine and

15
In the classical period, Beethoven wrote “Marcia Funebre” as the second movement of his piano
sonata op.26. In romantic period, Chopin wrote “Marche Funèbre” as the third movement of his piano
sonata op.35 and Liszt wrote “Funèrailles” in his collection Harmonies Poétiques et Religieuses.

16
Paul Roberts, Reflections: The Piano Music of Maurice Ravel (Milwaukee: Amadeus Press,
2012), 109.
 15

control it.”17 Neoclassicism’s idea of anti-romanticism resonates with impressionism’s

idea to “break down old conventions in order to explore new methods and techniques…

turning away from the Romantic-Germanic emphasis on traditional large-scale forms,

thematic unity, and development, in favor of smaller, individual forms and work-specific

techniques.”18 The fact that neoclassicism and impressionism resonate with one another is

demonstrated in Ravel’s Le Tombeau.

Le Tombeau de Couperin (1917) combines Ravel’s ideal of upholding the French

past while looking to the future. Several elements in this work point to the French

Baroque period, which would classify it as neo-baroque. The first is Ravel’s choice of

using the title “Tombeau.” The second is his reference to Couperin, and the last is

Ravel’s inclusion of dances found in the Baroque dance suite. In the first element, Ravel

used the 17th-century tombeau as the suite’s title to commemorate the deaths of several of

his close friends during World War I. The second element refers to Francois Couperin or

the Couperin family line. This family name was every bit as prestigious as the Bach

family name in Germany. In a broader sense, Ravel was referring to 18th-century French

music rather than the individual Francois Couperin.19 In the third element, Ravel modeled

his tombeau after the baroque dance suite’s structure to demonstrate his respect for the

17th and 18th-century French music.

17
Arnold Whittall, "Neo-classicism," Grove Music Online, 2001, Accessed 13 Feb. 2023,
https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.19723.

18
Nolan Gasser, “Period: Impressionist,” Classical Archives, accessed February 13, 2023, www.
Classicalarchives.com/period/8.html.

19
Deborah Mawer, The Ballets of Maurice Ravel: Creation and Interpretation (Aldershot,
England: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2006), 184.
 16

In this chapter, I will compare Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin with the 17th

century pieces titled “Tombeau” and the Baroque dance suite to illustrate how Ravel

combined his innovative musical language (new wine) with French traditions (old

bottles).

Le Tombeau and the Tombeaux

Most compositions titled “Tombeau” from the 17th century are shorter pieces that do not

appear as part of a collection or part of a larger work. Froberger’s “Tombeau fait à Paris

sur la mort de Monsieur Blancheroche” is listed as a single movement work by Schott. 20

Music historian David Schulenberg also classifies this Tombeau as a single movement

work.21 In Bärenreiter Urtext’s New Edition of Complete Works by Froberger, this work is

categorized as Fbwv 632 (Froberger-Werke-Verzeichnis).

According to musicologists David Fuller and Bruce Gustafson, though Louis

Couperin did not publish any of his works due to his short career span, there are three

important sources for his works. The more complete source is Bauyn Manuscript which

features 122 harpsichord works by the composer. 22 In this manuscript, “Tombeau de Mr.

Blancrocher” is presented as a piece on its own. In the 1985 Éditions de l'Oiseau-

Lyre edition of Louis Couperin’s complete harpsichord works, Davitt Moroney organizes

all works according to their tonality. This Tombeau is listed under the F major tonality in

the table of contents.

20
Howard Schott, "Froberger, Johann Jacob," Grove Music Online, 2001, Accessed 13 Feb. 2023,
https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.10298.

21
David Schulenberg, “Recent Editions and Recordings of Froberger and Other Seventeenth-
Century Composers,” Journal of Seventeenth-Century Music 13, no. 1 (2007): par. 4.13, https://sscm-
jscm.org/v6/no1/oregan.html.

22
David Fuller and Bruce Gustafson, "Couperin, Louis," Grove Music Online, 2001, Accessed 17
Feb. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.6002278207.
 17

D'Anglebert’s “Tombeau de Mr. de Chambonnieres” is the exception in the group

of these three pieces. In the 1689 edition of D’Anglebert’s Pieces de Clavecin, pieces

were presented in order of the following four tonalities, G major, G minor, D minor, and

D major. Each tonal group includes the four standard dances of a baroque dance suite,

allemande, courant, sarabande, and gigue, along with other optional pieces. Though this

organization resembles the structure of a baroque suite, there is no scholarly evidence

indicating that D’Anglebert wanted these pieces to be organized into four suites or the

pieces to be performed in one sitting.

Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin elevated the idea of the tombeau to a much

larger scale composition with six movements. The entire collection commemorates the

French tradition, while each movement is a personal tribute from Ravel to a particular

friend:

Prélude—à la mèmoire du lieutenant Jacques Charlot

Fugue—à la mèmoire du sous-lieutenant jean Cruppi
Forlane—à la mèmoire du lieutenant Gabriel Deluc
Rigaudon—à la mèmoire de Pierre et Pascal Gaudin
Menuet—à la mèmoire du Jean Dreyfus
Toccata—à la mèmoire du capitaine Joseph de Marliave23

There is a contrasting feature between the title of the suite and of each movement.

To commemorate the French musical past, Ravel specifically uses “Tombeau” and

“Couperin” in the title of his suite. On the other hand, he uses generic titles (Prelude,

Fugue, etc.) for each movement written in memory of a specific friend. The grandeur and

complexity, which will be elaborated on in the following section, of Ravel’s Le Tombeau

surpass those pieces from the 17th century that were written in the same vein.

23
Titles and French subtitles from music: Maurice Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin (Paris:
Durand & Co., 1918), p. 2, 7, 10, 16, 20, and 24.
 18

Le Tombeau de Couperin and the Baroque Keyboard Suite

Though Ravel’s Le Tombeau follows the structure of a typical baroque keyboard suite,

none of the standard dance movements (Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, and Gigue) are

included in this suite. Compared to the organization of D’Anglebert’s 1689 Pieces de

Clavecin, Ravel’s Le Tombeau retains only the prelude while opting for different dance

movements such as the Forlane, the Rigaudon, the Menuet, as well as the addition of the

Fugue and the Toccata.24 In Francois Couperin’s Premier Livre (1713), his suites, or

ordres, mainly follow the standard structure of a baroque dance suite (A, C, S, G). In

Fact, Couperin includes more than one standard dance movement and other

programmatic optional movements. Compared to the premier livre of Couperin, Ravel is

more experimental. However, Ravel’s Le Tombeau is far less experimental compared to

the ordres in Couperin’s Second Livre (1717), Troisième Livre (1722), and Quatrième

Livre (1730) where the composer abandons the baroque suite structure by including

mostly movements with programmatic titles. Ordre 7ème de Clavecin in Second Livre is

an example. All movements from this ordre are pieces with programmatic titles: La

Ménetou (The Menetou), Les petits âges (The Little Ages), La muse naissante (The

Budding Muse), L’Enfantine (The Child), L'adolescente (The Teenager), Les délices

(Delicacies), La Basque (The Basque), La Chazé (The Chase), and Les amusemens (The

Amusements). Ravel did not follow Couperin’s way of replacing all dance movements in

his ordres. By keeping the Forlane, the Rigaudon, and the Menuet in his suite, Ravel

clearly shows his interest in preserving the structure of the baroque dance suite to an

extent.

24
As mentioned in the first section, there is not enough evidence to call D’Anglebert’s Pieces de
Clavecin suites, but the structure is like that of a baroque suite.
 19

Prélude

Since Francois Couperin’s Ordres do not start with a prelude, I will compare Ravel’s

“Prélude” to D’Anglebert’s “Preludes” in Pieces de Clavecin. Of the four tonal groupings

in D’Anglebert’s Pieces de Clavecin, three begin with a prelude. These preludes are

unmeasured preludes or Prélude non mesuré written without metrical or rhythmic

indication. According to David Moroney, the 17th-century unmeasured prelude for

harpsichord shares similar elements with the French lute preludes which are “designed to

test the tuning of the instrument.”25 D’Anglebert applies a notational system, making his

unmeasured preludes easier to understand. He uses whole notes for “basic notation,”

eighth notes for “fragments of musical importance,” and bar lines to “indicate the end of

a significant musical sentence” (Example 2.1). 26

Example 2.1—D’Anglebert, Pieces de Clavecin, “Prelude in G major”

Ravel’s Prélude, on the other hand, has an uncommon meter of 12/16, a clear

layout of notes and rhythms, and a defined rounded binary form. Perhaps he chooses this

time signature in an effort to imitate the freedom inherent in the unmeasured Preludes of

25
David Moroney, "Prélude non mesuré," Grove Music Online, 2001, Accessed 19 Feb. 2023,
https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.22290.

26
Ibid.
 20

D’Anglebert. Ravel’s Prelude starts with the figure that becomes the basis for the entire

Prelude. This figure comprises six 16th notes A, G, D, E, G, B. These six notes make up

the E minor or G major pentatonic scale, one of Ravel’s frequently used harmonic

devices. There is also the written-out ornament, to be played on the beat, which recalls

the characteristics of French baroque music (Example 2.2).

Example 2.2—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Prélude,” mm. 1-2

Fugue

It is uncommon to include a fugue in a baroque-style suite. There are no instances in all

the 17th and 18th-century French Keyboard suites where a fugue is included. Outside of

French keyboard literature, Handel does include a fugue as the second movement in his

keyboard suite in F minor, HWV 433. The reason is that a fugue is a substantial and

serious composition that is often paired with another introductory piece such as prelude

or toccata. Another explanation is that the contrapuntal task in a baroque suite belongs to

the gigue, which is dancelike in character and less serious. With its rare appearance in the

baroque keyboard suite, I propose that the Fugue has a special role in Le Tombeau de

Couperin which will be further discussed in chapter four.

Roger Nichols, a scholar of French music, shares his thoughts on Ravel’s Fugue:

“As with all well-constructed fugues, this one seems very easy, and indeed Ravel

facilitates his task by making a marked contrast between subject and countersubject and
 21

by separating them with freely composed material.”27 Ravel’s “Fugue” is a standard 3-

voice fugue, but what is worth noting is that the Fugue’s subject is almost identical to the

motive from the Prélude. The subject starts with five notes A, G, B, G, and E, missing the

D compared to the Prélude’s motive (A, G, D, E, G, and B). The second half of the

subject (B, G, and E) is an inversion of the second half of the Prélude’s motive (E, G, and

B) (Example 2.3). Moreover, memorizing and performing the Fugue proves to be quite a

challenging task. The brief and simple subject stands in contrast to the complexity of

voicing, articulation, and awkward passagework (Example 2.4).

Example 2.3—the subject from Le Tombeau de Couperin’s Fugue

Example 2.4—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Fugue,” mm.50-53

Forlane

The Forlane is the first dance movement in Le Tombeau and is the movement that

clarifies why Ravel’s suite is an homage to Couperin. Ravel was interested in Francois

27
Roger Nichols, Ravel, (New Haven: Yale university Press, 2011), 193.
 22

Couperin’s “Forlane” from Concerts Royaux Composé par MONSIEUR COUPERIN and

made a transcription of this piece. 28 Couperin’s Forlane (Example 2.5) and Ravel’s

Forlane (Example 2.6) share the same dotted rhythm motive . Another

similar feature is the use of rondo form in both pieces.

What sets Ravel’s Forlane apart is its intriguing harmonic language. When

discussing the complexity of Ravel’s harmonic language in the Forlane, scholar Roger

Nicols, summed it up beautifully:

Harmonically the most enterprising movement is the ‘Forlane:’ this being the
earliest written of the six movements, it supports the view that Ravel’s harmonic
palette reached an acme of sophistication and dissonance in the years immediately
before the war, after which it became simpler and more straightforward—whether
or not through contact with the realities of soldiering. In the ‘Forlane’ there is
some indelicate jostling among the higher discords, at times producing almost
bitonal effects, but again these novelties are grounded in traditional sequence of
basses and modal cadences in which the flattened seventh is prominent. 29

Ravel’s daring use of harmony is clear even at the beginning of this movement. The D#,

the leading tone in the home key E minor, appears frequently and is accented without any

resolution (Example 2.6). The ending also features the unresolved D# and the unsettling

atmosphere of open fourths and fifths.

28
Arbie Orenstein, “Some Unpublished Music and Letters by Maurice Ravel,” Music Forum 3,
(New York: Columbia university Press, 1967), 328-329.

29
Nichols, 193.
 23

Example 2.5—Francois Couperin, “Forlane,” mm. 1-12

Example 2.6—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Forlane,” mm. 1-4

Rigaudon

This lively French baroque dance is not a popular optional dance found in French

baroque keyboard suites. However, Francois Couperin did include one rigaudon in his

second ordre in D minor from Premier Livre. This rigaudon is a short piece in two parts,

the first part in D minor and the second part in D major, and each part is divided into two

sections with repeat signs. Both parts employ the same musical material and are

characterized by frequent ornaments (Example 2.7).

Ravel’s Rigaudon is in ternary form (A-B-A) with a contrasting B section in both

musical material and tempo indication (Assez Vif versus Moins Vif). Section A is

characterized by the hectic drive of the sixteenth notes enhanced by the left hand moving

back and forth over the right hand. Section B features a lyrical right-hand line over a
 24

drone-like left-hand accompaniment figure. The tonal scheme is opposite of Couperin’s

Rigaudon with the A section in C major and the B section in C minor (Example 2.8 &

2.9).

Example 2.7—Louis Couperin, Rigaudon, mm. 1-3

Example 2.8—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Rigaudon,” mm. 1-4

Example 2.9—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Rigaudon, mm. 37-40

Menuet

The Menuet is a popular choice in D’Anglebert’s Pieces de Clavecin and Francois

Couperin’s Ordres. Each of the tonality groupings in D’Anglebert’s Pieces de Clavecin

has at least one Menuet, and five of Couperin’s Ordres include a menuet as an optional

dance movement. Both composers treat their Menuets with the simplicity allowing the

dance’s elegant character to come across. This simplicity lies in the rhythm, the ease of
 25

playing, the straightforward harmonic movements, and the two-part structure (Example

2.10 & 2.11).

Ravel also manages to maintain a level of simplicity in his Menuet, unlike the

previous movements. Each of the previous movements features a different complexity,

such as the finger dexterity in the Prélude, the intricate voicing in the Fugue, the

harmonic complexity in the Forlane, and the hectic, driving energy in the Rigaudon.

Ravel begins the Menuet with an elegant melody with mostly stepwise movement.

Underneath that melody is the clear and unencumbered texture of the left-hand

accompaniment. Nevertheless, there is a little twist when the first phrase cadences on the

dominant chord (B major) of the relative minor (E minor) without resolving (Example

2.12). The second section of this ternary-form Menuet is where Ravel deviates from the

norm. This unique section is labeled as a Musette, which is rarely found in a regular

menuet.

Example 2.10—D’Anglebert, Menuet in G from Pieces de Clavecin, mm. 1-8

Example 2.11—Louis Couperin, Menuet in G minor from Premier Livre, mm. 1-6
 26

Example 2.12—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Menuet,” mm. 1-12

Toccata

A toccata is a keyboard work characterized by spontaneity and meant to display the

performer’s technical dexterity. Musicologist John Caldwell observes that French

composers do not use the term toccata in their compositions. The closest toccata-like

work found in the French baroque period is the unmeasured prelude. 30 Italian and

German baroque composers are among those who wrote the most toccatas, namely

Girolamo Frescobaldi, Johann Jakob Froberger, and Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach

composes toccatas as a single work as well as a movement of a larger composition, as

seen in his Partitas. The single-movement toccatas by Bach are divided into different

sections with contrasting tempi. Bach, as a master of counterpoint, uses this device

effectively and abundantly in these toccatas.

Unlike the German master, Ravel’s “Toccata” is in Sonata-Allegro form. Two

contrasting themes (Example 2.13 & 2.14) mark the two tonal areas (tonic E minor–

dominant B minor relationship) that are connected by a magical transition highlighting

30
John Caldwell, "Toccata," Grove Music Online, 2001, Accessed 7 Mar. 2023,
https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-
9781561592630-e-0000028035.
 27

the V (F-sharp) of B minor (Example 2.15). The development section explores the

material in the first theme, while the recapitulation features the return of the second

theme in the original key.

Example 2.13—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Toccata,” mm. 1-10

Example 2.14—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Toccata,” mm. 57-60

Example 2.15—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Toccata,” mm. 51-56

With the Toccata, Ravel showcases all the possibilities of the modern piano. Two

of those are the extreme dynamic range (piano to fortissimo) and the extreme register

range within five measures (Example 2.16).

 28

Example 2.16—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Toccata,” mm. 217-221

 29

Chapter three

Music and Human emotions

Music has always been a means to communicate effectively and impact the emotions of

its listeners. The relationship between music and human emotions was explored by the

ancient Greeks. The great philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C) believed that music could

give pleasure and release stress. His contemporary philosopher Plato (428-347 B.C.)

believed that music could affect human moral behaviors. During the Baroque period, the

doctrine of affections was applied by many composers who believed that music could

elicit specific emotions from listeners.

Many instances demonstrate that music can communicate more effectively than

written words. The ultimate form of expressing grief is the sound of one crying or

moaning. Babies, who are not yet capable of speaking or writing, resort to crying as their

way of showing anger, hunger, or discomfort. Written words require readers to have the

ability to understand the language, while music can communicate effectively regardless

of any language barrier. The English nursery rhyme “London Bridge is Falling Down” is

an excellent example where the lyrics are tragic but are often overlooked because of the

joyful tune. In 1835, the renowned American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,

claimed in his book Outre-mer: A Pilgrammage Beyond the Sea, “Music is the universal

language of mankind.”31 Countless generations of composers have been using the power

of music to express their intimate thoughts which words were incapable of. In his book

31
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Outre-mer: A Pilgrammage Beyond the Sea, (New York:
Harper, 1835): 201.
 30

The Haunting Melody: Psychoanalytic Experience in Life and Music, the Austrian

American psychoanalyst Theodor Reik highly valued the ability of music to transmit

emotions. He claimed that “Language is at its poorest when it wishes to grasp and

communicate nuances and shade of feelings—in that very area in which music is most

efficient and expressive. Even in the language of poetry not much of the secret life of

emotion comes across. Music, so poor in definite and definable objective and rational

contents, can convey the indefinite variety of primitive and subtle emotions.” 32

In a recent study, Universality and Diversity in Human Song, researcher Samuel

Mehr and his team conclude that “Music is in fact universal: It exists in every society

(both with and without words), varies more within than between societies, regularly

supports certain types of behavior, and has acoustic features that are systematically

related to the goals and responses of singers and listeners.” 33 Many theories have tried to

explain this phenomenon of music and emotion. This chapter will briefly discuss three

theories: psychoanalysis and music, Langer’s the influences of art on the mind, and

musical equilibration.

Theodor Reik, a leading figure in psychoanalysis and a student of Sigmund Freud,

was among the first to apply psychoanalysis to explain the connection between music and

human emotions. Psychoanalysis emphasizes our unconscious reaction to a particular

event associated with our experience. The emotion associated with a musical experience

in the past will resurface when the same music is being experienced again. For instance,

32
Theodor Reik, The Haunting Melody: Psychoanalytic Experience in Life and Music, (New
York: Grove Press, Inc, 1953), 9.
33
Samuel Mehr et al., Universality and Diversity in Human Song, Science 366, NO. 6468
(November 2019): 970.
 31

an immigrant feels nostalgic whenever he listens to a song from his motherland. That

song triggers the memories of his home country and, in turn, creates a feeling of longing.

The second theory is primarily associated with the American philosopher Susanne

Langer. Her idea revolves around the influences of art and music on the human mind.

Langer did not identify her theory with the term isomorphism. However, those who

studied her work later associated her idea with the term isomorphism. 34 In his book, The

Meaning of Music, Dutch musicologist Leo Samama summarizes Langer’s theory, “it

seems as if the music passes on emotions, while in fact it releases emotions in us that are

entirely ours. That is what music can do: unleash emotions in ourselves, our own

emotions."35 In other words, music does not embed emotions on its own, but we, as

listeners, identify our emotions with the sound of music and allow those emotions to flow

accordingly.

The theory of musical equilibration was advocated by German music theorists

Bernd and Daniella Willimek. On the one hand, this theory is similar to Langer’s in that

certain musical elements resonate with certain human emotions. As a result, when

listening to music, different musical elements correspond to different emotions and allow

us to experience such feelings. On the other hand, Langer’s theory focuses on each

individual’s feelings toward different musical elements, while the theory of musical

equilibration emphasizes the universal emotional response to different musical elements.

In the article “Feelings that Strike a Chord, and Chords that Strike a Feeling,” Bernd and

34
Mary Reichling, “Intersections: Form, Feeling, and Isomorphism,” Philosophy of Music
Education Review 12, no. 1 (2004): 23, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40327217.
35
Leo Samama, The Meaning of Music, (Amsterdam University Press, 2016), 97.
 32

Daniella Willimek wrote, “The central premise of the Theory of Musical Equilibration is

that music does not directly elicit emotions; instead, it communicates processes of the

will - probably anchored in overtones - which the listener identifies and then interprets

emotionally.”36

Bernd and Daniella Willimek conducted a survey involving over 2100

participants. In this survey, two musical selections were composed for each of the eight

scenes in a fairy tale (a total of 16 selections). These musical selections were composed

to elicit specific emotions through chords such as “astonishment (augmented chord), a

feeling of forward motion (dominant), and weightlessness (whole-tone scale). During the

survey, participants were asked to choose which musical selections between the two

matched each scene best. The result was that “On average, 86.96% of the answers

correlated with each other as well as with the premise of the theory of musical

equilibration.”37

These three theories attempt to psychologically, philosophically, and scientifically

explain the effect that music has on human emotions. Each perspective complements the

other in helping us better understand this phenomenon. Supported by substantial research

and scientific data, the theory of musical equilibration is the most thorough of these three

theories. In the following chapter, I will present the mourning and consolation aspect of

Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin based on a combination of these three theories.

36
Bernd and Danielle Willimek, “Feelings which Strike a Chord, and Chords which Strike a
Feeling,” Open Journal of Acoustics, 7:11, https://doi.org/10.4236/oja.2017.71002.
37
Ibid., 15.
 33

Chapter four

The Journey Through Human Emotions in Times of Grief

Ravel’s Musical Intention in Le Tombeau de Couperin

It is evident that with Le Tombeau de Couperin, Ravel paid homage to both the French

musical tradition as established during the baroque period and his friends who perished in

the First World War. However, it is unclear what he intended to express musically

through each movement of this suite. The non-programmatic title of each movement in

the suite suggests absolute music. However, the character of each movement gives the

impression of rather light-hearted music. Ravel was criticized for the mismatched

character of the dances and the work’s dedication. To this criticism, he simply replied,

“The dead are sad enough in their eternal silence.” At first glance, there is perhaps little

to do with mourning and consolation from the composer’s perspective. Moreover, the

dedication aspect of this work might not have been Ravel’s original idea because some

movements were completed before the deaths of his friends. 38

On the other hand, several authors agree on the underlying grief found in Ravel’s

Le Tombeau de Couperin. In his book Ravel: Variations on His Life and Work, German

composer Hans Heinz Stuckenschmidt claims that “it is one of Ravel’s most

characteristic gestures that he should clothe in dance form these deepest emotions of his

life, the double reaction to the war and to the loss of his mother.” 39 Musicologist Jillian

38
Nichols, 192.
39
H. H. Stuckenschmidt, Ravel: Variations on His Life and Work, trans. Samuel R. Rosenbaum
(Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company, 1968), 173.
 34

Rogers acknowledged that Ravel’s Le Tombeau revealed a “traumatic” Ravel who was

negatively affected by the war, its aftermath, as well as his mother’s death from 1915 to

1917.40

In Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, I propose that the emotions listeners can

identify with are those of mourning and consolation, regardless of the composer’s

intention. In this chapter, I will discuss how certain musical elements from each

movement resonate with feelings of mourning and consolation. These two emotions go

hand in hand, as discussed by psychoanalyst Alexander Stein. He mentions that most

psychoanalysts agree that grieving in any form is often a state that yearns for help. This

help is the desire to be consoled.41

Mourning and Consolation from a psychoanalytical perspective

In this section, I will demonstrate how certain musical elements from the Fugue, the

Forlane, and the Toccata trigger feelings of mourning and consolation in listeners from a

psychoanalytical perspective.

In the Fugue, the “sighing” figure in the subject portrays mourning, while the

contrapuntal texture provides consolation. The rare appearance of a fugue in the structure

of a baroque dance suite signifies its essential role in Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin.

Indeed, this movement is unique to Ravel himself. The ability to write a fugue is more

proof that a composer can master this compositional technique than of a musical device

40
Jillian Rogers, “Musical ‘Magic Words’: Trauma and the Politics of Mourning in Ravel's Le
Tombeau De Couperin, Frontispice and La Valse,” Nineteenth-Century Music Review, 2022, 187,
doi:10.1017/S1479409821000306.
41
Alexander Stein, “Music, Mourning, and Consolation,” Journal of American Psychoanalytic
Association, (February 2004): 804, https://doi.org/10.1177/00030651040520031801.
 35

that he uses as an emotional outlet. However, Ravel’s Fugue proves to be an emotional

work as it is arguably the most similar to a lament.

The subject of this fugue includes a two-note slur figure that is generally

associated with the “Mannheim sigh” motif or “pianto” (Example 2.3). The two-note slur

has been used effectively in music to illustrate a sigh. A perfect example of the effect of

such a gesture can be seen in Dido’s Lament from Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. This

execution of a two-note slur, with the emphasis on the first note and the release of the

second note, resembles the human sighing gesture to perfection. According to music

theorist Raymond Monelle, “pianto” is a “motive of a falling minor second” representing

“lament” since the 16th century. During the 18th century, its meaning changed from

weeping to sighing.42 On the same topic, musicologist Peter Kivy proposes that the sigh

figure represented sorrow “by analogy to human expression” and traditionally “the figure

has been associated, since time out of mind, with intense rather than transient and shallow

grief.”43

Ravel uses a similar motive in “Oiseaux Tristes” (translated into “sad bird”) in

another collection, Miroirs, to portray the call of a lone bird (Example 4.1). Though this

figure does not precisely conform to the sighing motive, it stays on the same note instead

of moving to a lower note, and the effect is that of a bird yearning for companionship.

This motive is played in the same style as a two-note slur with more emphasis on the first

note. There is a slight emphasis on the first B-flat, indicated by the accent, and a release

42
Raymond Monelle and Robert Hatten, “The Search for Topics” In The Sense of Music: Semiotic
Essays, (Princeton University Press, 2000), 17.

43
Peter Kivy, Sound Sentiment: An Essay on the Musical Emotions, (Philadelphia: Temple
University Press, 1989), 78.
 36

of that tension, indicated by the staccato of the following B-flat. The two B-flats are then

connected by the pedal.

Example 4.1—lone bird motive from Ravel’s “Oiseaux Tristes,” mm. 1-3

The Fugue’s polyphonic structure represents different voices mourning

simultaneously, turning this movement into a choir of lamentation. However, the

polyphonic structure also provides listeners with a feeling of consolation. The three-voice

texture is likened to three friends sharing their pain and comforting one another. In

research conducted by music theorists Yuri Broze and Brandon Paul, “Polyphonic Voice

Multiplicity, Numerosity, and Musical Emotion Perception,” they concluded that

“positive emotion ratings increased with voice multiplicity while negative emotion

ratings decreased.”44 This statement makes much sense in our social context. Our pain

tends to decrease if we share that burden with others, and our happiness will be

multiplied when we do the same.

Ravel’s Fugue mainly exploits the softer end of the dynamic spectrum while

remaining, for the most part, in the upper register of the piano. This particular choice of

dynamic and register results in a more delicate sound throughout this movement. The

44
Yuri Broze and Brandon Paul et al., “Polyphonic Voice Multiplicity, Numerosity, and Musical
Emotion Perception,” Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Vol. 32, No. 2 (December 2014):
150, https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/mp.2014.32.2.143.
 37

voices in Ravel’s Fugue seem to be conversing in a whispering, consoling tone with one

another, never culminating in an outward cry or climax. As mentioned in the second

chapter, this movement presents many pianistic challenges, which in some way can be

representative of the struggles experienced by the performer.

In the Forlane, the first episode (starting at measure 29) features the rocking

motion provided by the left-hand accompaniment (Example 4.2). This motion reminds

listeners of a mother cradling and singing a lullaby to her child. Stein discussed in his

article how the “rocking motions” can calm the “distressed infant” and how that same

movement comforts adults during traumatic and painful events. 45 This rocking motion is

found in pieces such as a Berceuse, whose purpose is to lull young children to sleep.

Example 4.2—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Forlane,” mm. 30-34

The final movement, “Toccata,” is the most virtuosic piece in this suite. It was

dedicated to captain Joseph de Marliave, husband of pianist Marguerite Long. Perhaps

Ravel had her in mind when he composed this movement. With its virtuosic nature,

Rogers discusses how she believes that Ravel intended to help Marguerite Long recover

from the death of her husband by practicing and performing this challenging movement.

Rogers observes that “By writing extremely difficult, highly repetitive, and

45
Stein, 801.
 38

kinesthetically demanding music for her, Ravel gave Long a musical outlet not only to

perform the sheer difficulty of grieving in wartime France, but also to engage in the jeu

perlé style of piano playing (which means light and fast playing) that offered her a sense

of comfort in the regular and hypnotic movements required of her fingers and hands.” 46

(Example 4.3).

Example 4.3—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Toccata,” mm. 1-10

I wholeheartedly agree with Rogers’ observation as I prepared this movement for

the lecture recital. The concentration needed to prepare this piece will allow one to

temporarily disengage from your surroundings. According to the study “Threat

Detection: Behavioral Practices in Animals and Humans,” researcher David Eilam

concluded that “ritualistic behavior in both humans and animals developed as a way to

induce calm and manage stress caused by unpredictability and uncontrollability—

46
Jillian Rogers, “Grieving Through Music in Interwar France: Maurice Ravel and His Circle,
1914-1934,” (Phd diss., UCLA, 2014), 282, https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9n40d7kk.
 39

heightening our belief that we are in control of a situation that is otherwise out of our

hands.”47 The “ritualistic behavior” serves as a break from one’s devastating situation.

Mourning and Consolation from a philosophical perspective

As discussed in chapter three, Langer’s philosophy on music and its influence on the

human mind indicates that the emotional response to the same music can differ from one

individual to another. In this section, I will examine two movements, the Rigaudon and

the Menuet,” from Ravel’s Le Tombeau. I will first introduce Rogers’ view on her

emotional response to the Rigaudon and then offer my perspective. Second, I will discuss

my thoughts on the Menuet as I listened to and studied this piece.

The Rigaudon is one of the livelier movements of this suite. A rigaudon is a

French Baroque dance with a lively character in duple meter. This movement is dedicated

to the Gaudin brothers who died the very first day they arrived at the frontline. The first

section opens with a musical gesture that Rogers called the “grotesque grin.” (Example

4.4) She compared this gesture to an odd and forceful smile that Ravel put on in an

attempt to repress his grief. Rogers explains that “Ravel renders aggressive what might

otherwise function as a benign gesture through adding accents and asking the performer

to play it fortissimo...It is like a “magic word” that attempts to conceal but

simultaneously reveals the wound of psychic trauma.” 48 Stemming from the opening

47
The quote is from an online news website, American Friends of Tel Aviv University, "Finding
relief in ritual: A healthy dose of repetitive behavior reduces anxiety, says researcher," ScienceDaily.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922093324.htm (accessed February 26, 2023). The original
study is from David Eilam et al., "Threat detection: Behavioral practices in animals and
humans," Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 35, no. 4 (2011): 999-1006, Accessed February 27,
2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.08.002.
48
Rogers, Grieving Through Music in Interwar France: Maurice Ravel and His Circle, 1914-1934,
199-200.
 40

gesture, the jovial material from the rest of this section tries to reconcile itself with the

awkward beginning. However, this reconciliation is seen as an “emotional denial and

minimizing characteristic of the speech and actions of people who have experienced

psychic trauma.”

Example 4.4—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Rigaudon,” mm. 1-2

With all due respect to Rogers and her argument in this first section of the

Rigaudon, my emotional response to this section is different. Ravel was a dear friend of

the Gaudin family. The two brothers Pascal and Pierre Gaudin, to whom this movement

is dedicated, died on the first day of their service at the frontline of the war. I hear in this

section the youthful excitement of the two brothers who were eager to defend their

country. The opening gesture, the “grotesque grin” mentioned by Rogers, represents the

brothers’ destiny. The C major chord, to be played accented and fortissimo, is the

explosion of the German shell that took their lives. The frequent appearance of this

opening gesture haunts the listeners throughout this first section.

In the second section, time moves more slowly, as indicated by moins vif in the

music. The abrupt mood changing from major to minor shows the contrasting

atmosphere. The left-hand drone provides a steady and meditative background for the

right-hand melody, which sounds like it is asking why such tragedies must happen

(Example 4.5). According to psychology professor Ronald Friedman, the drone-like

accompaniment intensifies the tragic quality of the music, especially if the music is in a
 41

minor mode.49 The movement then continues with the recap of the first section,

concluding with the “grotesque grin,” signifying that although life goes on, grief is still

present.

Example 4.5—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Rigaudon,” mm. 37-44

The fifth movement, “Menuet,” is in ternary form with three separate sections, the

middle section labeled “Musette.” The first section is as elegant as one can imagine.

Measures 9-20 (Example 4.6) feature the subtle bell-like second beat in the left hand

underneath the melody. This bell-like effect comes from the slur between the note on the

second beat and the silent third beat (I create this effect by using the agogic accent in my

performance). The delayed left-hand bass note intensifies the feeling of longing in this

section. The same treatment happens in the second half of the Musette, where the

emphasis is placed on pedal point G on the second beat (Example 4.7).

49
Ronald Friedman, Exploring the Impact of Continual Drones on Perceived Musical Emotion,
Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, Vol. 29, no.4, (2019): 176,
https://doi.org/10.1037/pmu0000237.
 42

Example 4.6—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Menuet,” mm. 9-20

Example 4.7—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Menuet,” mm. 51-62

This peaceful atmosphere is disrupted by the mysterious Musette. Nichols

suggested that Ravel might have been writing a mourning melody for Jean Dreyfus in the

second section of the second movement, “Musette.” He pointed out that this melody is

quite similar to “Libera me” from Faure’s Requiem (Example 4.8) and “Lacrimosa” from

the plainsong sequence “Dies Irae” (Example 4.9).50 The left-hand accompaniment

features the two-note slur gesture, in a similar style to the sighing motive in the Fugue,

which intensifies the feeling of mourning. Ravel suggested playing this section using the

50
Nichols, Ravel, 194.
 43

Una Corda pedal, indicated as sourdine in the score, perhaps to lessen the pain by

softening the sound (Example 4.10).

Example 4.8—Plainsong Lacrimosa, Libre Usualis, Tournai, Desclée, 1956,

p.181251

Example 4.9—Fauré, “Libera me,” Requiem52

Example 4.10—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Menuet,” mm. 33-40

After the mystic realm of the Musette with its mournful tune, the Menuet returns,

which signifies the return of reality. Not much later, we witness an emotional outburst

from the same melody accompanied by a different left-hand pattern. The eighth note

broken-chord figure provides a musical momentum that drives our emotions to a

climactic point. This climax is marked by a forte that gradually fades away. The forte, in

this case, represents a restrained emotional outburst. The dynamic is loud, but the texture

51
This example is taken from Nichols, Ravel, 194.
52
Nichols, Ravel, 194.
 44

of the writing stays thin. There is no bombastic chordal texture or show of emotion in an

extroverted sense (Example 4.11).

Example 4.11—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Menuet,” mm. 108-112

Mourning and Consolation and the Theory of Musical Equilibration

As mentioned in chapter three, the theory of musical equilibration explains how human

beings respond emotionally to musical elements. This section will discuss how several

musical elements from the Prélude, the Forlane, and the Menuet evoke feelings of

mourning and consolation from listeners.

In the Prélude, the main music features are modal and pentatonic scales. This

prelude is not the first time Ravel employed modal and pentatonic scales. In another

composition Jeux d’Eau (translated as “water games”), Ravel used these tools to provide

the serene atmosphere of water as suggested by the title. The ending of Jeux d’Eau

features the E major pentatonic scale (E, F#, G#, B, C#) in 64 th notes in the right hand

with the added D# (leading tone) that does not resolve but lingers in the air as part of the

E major seventh chord (Example 4.12).

 45

Example 4.12—Ravel, Jeux d’Eau, mm. 84-86

The main motive of the Prélude is based on the pentatonic scale (Example 2.2 in

chapter two). This motive is the building cell of the entire movement. The ending is also

a clear example of a modal and pentatonic scale combination. The tremolo with added

pedal creates a texture characteristic of the impressionistic style (Example 4.13). This

ending is different from Froberger’s ending in “Tombeau de Monsieur Blancheroche.”

While Froberger’s ending depicts the tragic fall of Blancheroche, Ravel’s ending in the

Prélude might depict the ascending of those who died in the war going to a better place.

Example 4.13— Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Prélude,” mm. 91-94

By applying the pentatonic scales, these two pieces share the same soothing

atmosphere. In his book, The Wisdom of the Hand: A Guide to the Jazz Pentatonic

Scales, American composer Marius Nordal mentions that Ravel’s use of pentatonic scales
 46

is to “paint gentle scenes of water, clouds, and fogs” or to “portray hazy and ill-defined”

timbre.53 In Jeux d’Eau, Ravel uses the pentatonic scale to create the fluidity and

tranquility of water. The image of water is often associated with transparency and

reflection which evokes self-reflection and meditation from listeners. In Le Tombeau, the

same image of water, achieved by the abundant use of the pentatonic scale, allows

listeners to disengage from the chaotic reality of the post-war time temporarily. As a

result, listeners can find a moment for meditation to soothe their pains from the

devastating war.

The calming effect of the pentatonic scale has often been used by musical

therapists, as music educator Nigel Scaife mentions in his article “Understanding

Theory.”54 The calming effect of the pentatonic scale probably comes from the absence

of the seventh and fourth scale degrees which provide tension in a western major scale.

The tension comes from the pull of the semitone. The fourth scale degree resolves to the

third scale degree, and the seventh scale degree resolves to the tonic. Several studies have

documented the calming quality of the pentatonic scale. For example, medical doctor

Diana Schwilling observed that the pentatonic scale could reduce the stress hormone

levels of infants born underweight. 55 Another study by Professor Alice Ranger showed

that pentatonic music increased parasympathetic tone in infants, leading to lower heart

rate and stress levels.56 Although the subjects of these studies were infants, they give

53
Marius Nordal, The Wisdom of the Hand: A Guide to the Jazz Pentatonic Scales, (Sher Music
co., 2015).
54
Nigel Scaife, “Understanding Theory,”
https://www.pianistmagazine.com/blogs/professionaladvice/understanding-theory-part-2-more-on-scales/
55
Diana Schwilling, Michael Vogeser, et al., Live Music Reduces Stress Levels in very Low-
birthweight Infants, Acta Paediatrica, 104, (2015): 360-367. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.12913
 47

great insights into the calming effect of the pentatonic scale on human beings. The first

movement of Ravel’s Le Tombeau begins not with mourning but consolation. It comforts

listeners from their grief and prepares them for what might come.

The Forlane is this suite’s first authentic baroque dance. A forlane was originally

a dance from Italy and later became a French court dance. It is a fast dance and often in

duple meter. Ravel had studied and transcribed Couperin’s Forlane before he composed

his own. Ravel’s Forlane is in rondo form with four contrasting sections followed by a

coda. This movement is characterized by its unconventional harmonies. The theme of the

refrain features sharp dissonances (Example 2.6 in chapter two). Every chord tends to

contain one foreign note, thus creating an ambiance of discomfort. In measure 1, the D#

clashes with the E (a minor second then a major seventh). In measure 2, the B# or C

clashes with the C# (a major seventh) and so on. According to a table on the emotional

effects of intervals provided by musicologist Wayne Chase in his book How Music Really

Works, these minor second and major seventh dissonant intervals elicit negative

emotions. In this case, Listeners might identify their emotions as anguish (minor second)

and longing (major seventh).57

The coda of this movement is another example of its strange harmonic language

bringing discomfort to its listeners (Example 4.14). Pianist Marguerite Long recorded the

reaction of Camille Chevillard, one of Ravel’s contemporaries, when he listened to this

56
A. Ranger and E. Helmert et al., "Physiological and emotional effects of pentatonic live music
played for preterm neonates and their mothers in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit: A randomized
controlled trial," Complementary Therapies in Medicine 41, (2018): 240-246, Accessed February 26, 2023
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2018.07.009.
57
Wayne Chase, How Music Really Works, (Vancouver: Roedy Black Pub, 2006), chap. 4,
https://howmusicreallyworks.com/Pages_Chapter_4/4_4.html.
 48

coda, “The conclusion [of the “Forlane”] is rich with strange sonorities and bold

dissonances. Camille Chevillard, who asked me to play the Tombeau for him at my

house, stopped his ears at this passage. He did not like its flavour [sic] at all.” 58 Rogers

wrote in her dissertation that this dissonant coda discomforted listeners, especially when

they were expecting the refrain's return, which eventually came back incomplete. 59

Example 4.14—Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin, “Forlane,” mm. 139-146

58
Marguerite Long, At the Piano with Ravel, ed. Pierre Laumonier, trans. Olive Senior-Ellis
(London: J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., 1973), 96.
59
Jillian Rogers, Grieving Through Music in Interwar France: Maurice Ravel and His Circle,
1914-1934, 197.
 49

Conclusion

In my research for this document, I did not find much discussion about the history of the

term tombeau or music titled “Tombeau.” I hope this document provides readers with a

deeper understanding of these pieces. Initially a literary work, the “Tombeau” found its

way into early baroque instrumental music. The three “Tombeaux” written by Froberger,

Couperin, and D’Anglebert are the forerunners of keyboard pieces written in this manner.

Froberger’s “Tombeau” contains many expressive traits, including the rhythmic freedom

and the descending scale portraying the fall of Blancheroche. Couperin’s “Tombeau” is a

cohesive work that clearly shows the influence of lute writing. D’Anglebert’s “Tombeau”

is a highly original work that fully demonstrates his writing style.

Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin resurrected this dedicatory work which fell out

of use. Larger scale, complexity, and innovative musical language are the main

characteristics that distinguish Ravel’s “Tombeau” from the “Tombeaux” of those that

came before him. With Le Tombeau, Ravel successfully pays tribute to the French

musical past and established himself as an important composer of French music history.

This work demonstrates how Ravel skillfully poured his new wine into these old bottles.

For instance, he includes a standard fugue in the structure of the baroque dance suite. He

models his “Forlane” after Francois Couperin’s but infuses it with his original harmonic

language. Ravel also uses the sonata-allegro form in “Toccata,” which is not a common

formal structure for a toccata.

With Le Tombeau de Couperin, Ravel clearly intended to honor the French

musical past and to dedicate this work to his friends, but he did not document his musical
 50

intention. A musical work will only fulfill its purpose if it touches its listeners

emotionally. The connection between music and human emotions has been investigated

throughout history from as early as ancient Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato to

German psychoanalyst Reik, American philosopher Langer, and German music theorists

Bernd and Daniella Willimek. The three theories associated with Reik, Langer, and the

Willimeks become the foundation to help readers understand how different musical

elements in Ravel’s Le Tombeau evoke feelings of mourning and consolation. Stein

mentions that in times of grief, human mourns as a call for help that is to be consoled.

From a psychoanalytical perspective, the sighing motive from the Fugue evokes the

feeling of mourning, and the contrapuntal texture of the Fugue represents different voices

that are consoling the distressed soul and sharing its burden. On the other hand, the

rocking motion in the Forlane and the repeated notes in the Toccata bring comfort.

From a philosophical perspective, the emotional response becomes subjective.

Different people will react in different ways emotionally to the same piece of music.

Rogers and I have differing views on the pain expressed in the first section of the

Rigaudon. Rogers hears the initial gesture of the Rigaudon as a grin hiding the grief, but I

heard it as the tragic destiny of the Gaudin brothers. In this section, I also believe that the

musical elements in the Menuet evoke feelings of mourning and consolation. The simple

and elegant melody from the Menuet calms the troubling soul, while the somber Musette

reminds one of the mourning tune from “Libera me” from Faure’s Requiem and

“Lacrimosa” from the plainsong sequence “Dies Irae.” The return of the menuet is the

culmination of a restrained emotional outburst that fades away eventually.

 51

The theory of musical equilibration explains how the calming quality in

pentatonic scales provides the feeling of consolation and how the sharp dissonances

express discomfort and grief. The abundant use of pentatonic scales in the Prélude offers

listeners a soothing atmosphere, while the frequent use of dissonances in the Forlane

makes listeners unsettled and distressed.

As a pianist, a deeper understanding of Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin has

profoundly shaped how I perform this work. To bring out the soothing atmosphere of the

Prélude, I choose an unhurried pace and keep the fluidity in the pentatonic scales.

Knowing that the Fugue has both mourning and consolation aspects, I emphasize the

mourning effect from the two-note sighing motive in the subject but keep a light touch

throughout. In the Forlane, I feel free to project the dissonances in the refrain and bring

out the rocking motion that evokes the comfort of a Berceuse in the first episode. I hear

the opening gesture of destiny in the Rigaudon as I play and maintain the steady and even

drone-like accompaniment for a meditative and grieving effect. My approach to the

Menuet is to keep it light and straightforward and yet cultivate a funereal character in the

Musette. Finally, maintaining steadiness and evenness in the repeated gesture when

playing the Toccata is essential.

The complexity of human reactions to music makes the experience of interpreting

music and listening to music worthwhile. By exploring how different musical elements in

Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin correspond to feelings of mourning and consolation,

my modest goals are to help readers understand the emotional potential of the work and

to help pianists bring this wonderful piece to life.

 52

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