Around 1900, Maurice Ravel joined a group of innovative young artists, poets, critics, and musicians referred to as Les Apaches or "hooligans", a term coined by Ricardo Viñes to refer to his band of "artistic outcasts". To pay tribute to his fellow artists, Ravel began composing Miroirs in 1904 and finished it the following year. It was first published by Eugène Demets in 1906. The third and fourth movements were subsequently orchestrated by Ravel, while the fifth was orchestrated by Percy Grainger, among others.
Structure
Miroirs has five movements, each dedicated to a member of Les Apaches:
Orchestrated versions
"Une barque sur l'océan" and "Alborada del gracioso" were orchestrated by Ravel himself. "La vallée des cloches" has been orchestrated by Roberto Halffter for triple woodwind, four horns, timpani, percussion, two harps, celesta and strings; and Percy Grainger for a typical Grainger ensemble with multiple pianos and percussion, plus strings. "Oiseaux tristes" has been scored by Felix Günther for double woodwind plus piccolo, two horns, two trumpets, percussion, harp, celesta and strings; though aimed at intermediate rather than advanced players, transposed down a semitone and with some of Ravel's rhythms simplified. The earliest known orchestration of "Noctuelles" is by the British pianist Michael Round, an orchestration commissioned by Vladimir Ashkenazy and recorded by him with the NHK Symphony Orchestra – the recording also includes Round's scorings of the Fugue and Toccata from Le tombeau de Couperin. In orchestrated form "Noctuelles" is scored for triple woodwind minus onecontrabassoon; four horns, three trumpets, three trombones and tuba, timpani, percussion, two harps, celesta and strings. Performance material is held by publishers BMG. There is a more recent orchestration of "Noctuelles" by American composer Steven Stucky. It is published by Theodore Presser Company and is scored for 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 2 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, 2 percussionists, celesta, two harps, and strings. In 2001 American conductor Leif Bjaland orchestrated "Oiseaux tristes" scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, harp, and strings. In 2003 the British composer Simon Clarke made an orchestration of the three movements that Ravel did not orchestrate.
