SEDUCTIVE SINGING - Ravel's Ondine - Analysis Part 2/2: Harmony

[@alexs1504]

This piece is to me the most beautiful thing I've ever heard in my life, I guess I couldn't resist...

[@sirchoppy1810]

I heard this piece when i was a kid, and my dad practiced this a lot. Then, when I got bacc into music and piano, I heard this again, and i recognized it........still as beautiful and mysterious as it was when i first heard it! EDIT: 12:56 poor guy... those thirds are like.....really weerd

[@randomchannel-px6ho]

Fun fact: The Harmony of the "climax" is a minor version of the first few bars of giant steps. Ondine: Bm D7 Gm A#7 D#m F#7 Giant steps: B D7 G Bb7 Eb The melody's even land on the same tension of G natural over the Bb7/A#7 (the 13th) I just find this super interesting for some reason

[@gustavertboellecomposer]

I literally never realized this until now, but now i cant stop hearing it lol. I find it so ingenious how the upper minor triads are just transposing a whole step down every beat, while the bass moves along the pattern you mentioned. Like it goes from Bm to Am, but because the bass goes down to D, the Am becomes the extension of a D7, which then leads to Gm where it repeats.

[@gemmahudack6182]

coltrane changes before coltrane lol

[@christophernorman8127]

Yes .I noticed that .

[@christophernorman8127]

I think the pedal has to be all the way through at the end of the penultimate page. The Tres lent solo melody

[@dominikclarke6545]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2WVhJmaj9R8fM0

[@lucas__machado]

This upright sound is absolutely magnificent

[@mischacarlberg6631]

You forgot to mention one of the coolest things about the climax: the chords in between the Bm, Gm and D#m. He has put the dominant for every chord change in between, which was something that took forever for me to notice, but it really makes such a difference. So it's meant to be Bm, D7, Gm, A#7, D#m, and then the chords you wrote. Definitely one of my favourite chord progressions of all time

[@gustavertboellecomposer]

It is so surprising to me how romantic the harmony in this piece actually is; like sure it is primarily in a mixolydian b6 sorta key, but like the amount of times the chords move by fifths is actually quite insane. How have i never noticed the transition at 2:46 is just the classic V - I?? I suspect Ravel makes us read all these sharps just so people don't find out his harmonies are just II - V - I's in disguise lol.

[@marianoiqq]

i think the harmony at the climax should be Bm9 - D9(13) - Gm9 - Bb9(13) - D#m9 - F#7(b9,13) , and I think it is one of the most interesting parts of this work, because it has a cycle of descending thirds, similar to the work giants steps by john coltrane

[@8413Lucas]

Probably one of my favourite pieces by Ravel, thank you for this great analysis! And yes, I agree, the climax of Ondine is just insane!

[@AnaPaula-np5rq]

Sympatisk, omtänksam, hängiven, kreativ, karismatisk och utmärkt pianist. 👏🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

[@moniquethurston4109]

Impressions....indeed , a lot of them ! Thank you Henrik

[@marie-louiseericsson9252]

Verkligen strålande instudering, Henrik! Du är grym. Stort Tack!

[@drewlitton3843]

Can we all agree that this video is the most informative flex ever lmao…beautiful playing and wonderful piece!

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

This is absolutely amazing! You said the piano is like an orchestral instrument. I completely agree, and Ravel did as well. He often orchestrated his piano works later on. Do you know if he orchestrated anything from “Gaspsrd da la Nuit”? I can never find anything.

[@Medtner26]

He didn’t do that because he thought it wouldn’t sound nearly as nice as an orchestral piece, but Constant did an orchestration on it. I prefer the original though. Here is an absolutely splendid performance (my favourite): kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioK2qoWOh9qebLs

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

@@Medtner26 Thank you!! ☺️

[@sirchoppy1810]

ikr!

[@christophernorman8127]

Thanks for this .Cracking video!!

[@brendanward2991]

What a haunting piece. Henrik makes it look easy.

[@mohhingman]

love love love this. I love Ravel's music so much, analysing each part is unbelievably joyous. Thank you for making this. Your other videos are super interesting and you explain the technical and well as artistic elements. Just wonderful.

[@barthiemstra5259]

Amazing analysis! I've subscribed, on the condition that you'll eventually do one of Scarbo ;)

[@SonataSecrets]

Haha nice try ;)

[@sylvainleray5051]

Great playing, and nice work on your channel!! The very beginning is really sounding like a C#9(b6) to me, and we got the whole mode from F# melodic minor! We can also hear it as a B7 #11 going to this kind of Bb7/D! Truly amazing

[@ballefranz7059]

no one is labelling the a b6?!

[@mikebrun.mp3]

what an incredible resource, thank you!

[@jessieborrell1856]

What a beautiful and interesting piece of music!

[@chriscamp6971]

Amazing video! Love this piece of music

[@Poeme340]

Another great video about another exquisite piece-thx!!

[@levimatheri7682]

Amazing! I'm sure a lot of work went into this

[@nerrdinho]

Hi Henrik, could you please do an analysis on Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 55 no 2 this is such a beautiful and would love to hear your insight on it!

[@SonataSecrets]

Analysis on Chopin Nocturne Op. 55 no. 2 is out now! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpSZaqWKmtKSp9E

[@nerrdinho]

@@SonataSecrets THANK YOU!

[@christophernorman8127]

Funny you saying the F minor section of the climax section ( thirds and fourths)is easier than the C sharp minor section before it. I find the opposite. The ‘circular” action flows more naturally.

[@christophernorman8127]

Any chance of a similar video for Scarbo? 🙁🙂🙏🙏🙏

[@SonataSecrets]

Hehe everybody asks, the answer is always maybe some time in the future...

[@drdandan6128]

7:00 what is X?

[@benhouhousmail6563]

For my point of view, at 6:54 you have D#9/11-> A13 ->C13 and then at 7:00 D#9/11 -> A13 -> C7b9 Ravel wants a harmonic variation by exchangig the C13 by C7/b9

[@margarethansen7480]

👏👏👏

[@maleficfig68]

Thank you so much for this! This has always been one of those piano pieces that keep me going with practicing cause I just want to be able to play it so badly