Ravel, Ma mère l'Oye, M.62 (orchestral) (Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra)

M.Ravel's Ma mère l'Oye (Mother Goose Suite), M.60, with a theme-and-structure analysis and synchronized sheet music (score)
Performance: Seiji Ozawa (conductor), Boston Symphony Orchestra, 1974/04 Stereo, Symphony Hall, Boston
Analysis, Score Editing, Synch: ScoreMan

00:00 1. Prélude
03:44 2. Danse du rouet et scène (The Spinning Wheel Dance and Scene)
07:23 3. Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant (Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty)
09:44 4. Les Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête (The Conversations of Beauty and the Beast)
14:38 5. Petit Poucet (Little Tom Thumb)
19:30 6. Laideronette, impératrice des pagodes (The Ugly Little Princess, Empress of the Pagodas)
24:38 7. Le Jardin féerique (The Fairy Garden)


OVERVIEW

Maurice Ravel’s Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose) was originally written as a piano duet (four hands) in 1908–1910, but Ravel later orchestrated it in 1911.
The orchestral version transforms the delicate piano suite into a colorful and magical symphonic fairy tale.
It’s one of Ravel’s most luminous and enchanting orchestral works, showing his mastery of tone color and imagination.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

After writing the piano version for the Godebski children, Ravel realized that the music’s imagery could reach a wider audience through the orchestra.
In 1911, he expanded and orchestrated the suite, adding a Prélude and Danse du rouet et scène (Spinning Wheel Dance and Scene) as introductions and transitions between the movements.
He also adapted the work into a ballet, which was premiered in Paris in 1912.
The stories that inspired the music come from classic French fairy tales by Charles Perrault, Madame d’Aulnoy, and Madame Leprince de Beaumont.

MUSICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Masterful orchestration: The orchestral version shows Ravel at his finest as a colorist. He uses delicate woodwinds, soft strings, celesta, harp, and gentle percussion to paint the sound of a dream world.
From intimacy to magic: While the piano version feels tender and personal, the orchestral version opens up the fairy-tale universe with vivid textures and atmosphere.
A work for both children and adults: Though written with children in mind, it has emotional depth and sophistication that appeal to all listeners.
One of Ravel’s signature orchestral works: It stands beside Daphnis et Chloé and Boléro as a masterpiece of orchestral color and storytelling.