Dedicated to Maurice Delage, the piece evokes the sounds of various bells through its use of sonorous harmonies.įor Ravel's 1919 orchestral version, see Alborada del gracioso. ' La vallée des cloches' ('The Valley of Bells').Dedicated to Michel-Dimitri Calvocoressi, Alborada is a technically challenging piece that incorporates Spanish musical themes into its complicated melodies. ' Alborada del gracioso' (Spanish: 'The Jester's Aubade/ Morning Song of the Jester').Arpeggiated sections and sweeping melodies imitate the flow of ocean currents. Written for Paul Sordes, the piece recounts a boat as it sails upon the waves of the ocean. ' Une barque sur l'océan' (in English 'A Boat on the Ocean').The rambunctious middle section is offset by a solemn cadenza which brings back the melancholy mood of the beginning. Dedicated to Ricardo Viñes, this movement represents a lone bird whistling a sad tune, after which others join in. The middle section is calm with rich, chordal melodies, and the recapitulation takes place a fifth below the first entry. Dedicated to Léon-Paul Fargue, Noctuelles is a highly chromatic work, maintaining a dark, nocturnal mood throughout.
