Scoring: 2(picc).2(cor ang).2.2 – 2.1.0.0 – hp– str.

In his homage Le Tombeau de Couperin, Ravel is less specifically interested in Couperin than in French music of the late 18th century. In his preface, editor Jean-Francois Monnard explains how Ravel paid a moving and intensely personal tribute to the events of World War I with his multi-layered work.

The orchestral version goes back to the original, eponymous piano suite (1914–17). Then, in 1919, the composer selected four pieces from t...