La Valse

La Valse: Poème pour orchester is a choréographique arisen in the years 1906 to 1920 the work of Maurice Ravel.

1919 received by Sergei Diaghilev commissioned Ravel for a ballet on the subject of " Vienna and its waltz " for the Ballets Russes. When he returned to composing material he had created in 1906. As was the finished piece in 1920 in the district of Diaghilev, Stravinsky, Poulenc and others demonstrated, Diaghilev refused because it was not a ballet, but the portrait of a ballet. La Valse was premiered on 12 December 1920 in Paris as a purely orchestral work. 1921 Ravel arranged the piece for two pianos, Lucien Garban arranged from a piano duet. It was not until 1928 Bronislava Nijinska choreographed a one-act ballet for Ida Rubinstein to La Valse, choreographic more reactions followed in 1951 by George Balanchine and 1958 by Frederick Ashton.

In La Valse elements of the Viennese waltz are taken to be extended with the means of impressionist harmony and rhythm. This should be a kind of apotheosis of the Viennese waltz are shown, with the Ravel the " impression of a fantastic and deadly type of dervish dance " combined. To illustrate represents Ravel 's score following program proceeds: " Volatile can be obtained by floating veil of mist through waltz dancing couples realize. Gradually, the veils dissolve: one sees a huge hall with countless swirling in circles man. The scene brightens over time; suddenly shone on the chandelier in a bright light. An imperial residence around 1855. " Gradually replace the waltz distorted rhythms and dissonant harmonies. The piece ends in a burst of violence and chaos.

The piece was originally titled Vienna. Since this did not seem appropriate in post-war France, he was changed to La Valse.