“I have written a pavane for a dead princess, not a dead pavane for a princess.”
Ravel did not mean for this statement about his lovely, elegant Pavane for a Dead Princess to be humorous. He made it because he was frustrated at the over-interpretation of his new composition. He did not intend for it to be a mourning piece for a funeral, but rather a dignified pavane, which means dance, that could have been performed by a princess in the courts of Spain. He insisted that it be played in strict time, as opposed to rubato, without drama and sentimentality. “Do not attach more importance to this title than it has,” Ravel stated.
This certainly sheds new light on the meaning of the piece. It also makes one wonder why he chose the word “dead” as a descriptive for the princess if he was actually trying to portray something entirely different.
Ravel wrote his composition in 1899, but the pavane itself was established during the Sixteenth Century Renaissance period as a slow, dignified, introductory dance to the galliard. The galliard was another type of dance that was spirited and athletic in nature. It contained leaps, jumps and hops and was written in triple meter.
Ravel dedicated his composition to the Princess Edmond de Polignac, a painter and wealthy member of the French aristocracy. It was premiered by Ricardo Vines on April 5, 1902 and was the first of Ravel’s works to achieve real popularity. It remains as popular today as it was in 1902! Because of its title, however, some feel that it should be reserved for funerals and somber occasions. But understanding Ravel’s intention behind his composing of the piece should give one the feeling that he, or she, has permission to perform it for all types of occasions where pleasant music that is easy to listen to is needed. And, if the title is shortened to simply “Pavane,” no one will ever associate it with anything somber.
On June 30, 1922 in London, Ravel recorded a performance of this piece on a Duo-Art “piano roll.” Piano rolls captured performances with great accuracy and preserved the personal characteristics of the pianist remarkably. The roll was then played back on a piano designed to play rolls. To hear this actual piano roll recording of Pavane for a Dead Princess made by Ravel himself, click below. The photo is that of Ravel at the piano playing the composition.