Ravel orchestration (Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn)

Hi to all.

Here's my latest attempt at orchestration practice.

This one's from a piano miniature by Ravel. 
Haven't put all the slurs and fermatas in yet; but it's otherwise more or less complete.

(N.B. Later revisions are attached lower down the thread.)

Edited August 16, 2025Aug 16 by Alex Weidmann

Hi @Alex Weidmann!

Ah, so you decided to try your hand at yet another Ravel piece to orchestrate!  This time on a piece he wrote based on a transliteration of Haydn's name!  I listened to the original by Ravel, and its duration is only about 2 minutes, while your orchestration is twice as long!  And when listening to your orchestration, I definitely have the impression that it's being played too slow.  I'm not saying up the tempo everywhere.  Ravel's original was I think subject to some rubato tempo and rubato tempo is something that is possible for orchestra as well, not just in a solo piano piece.  They way I would apply rubato is to literally put rit.'s and accel.'s where appropriate throughout the score.  It could bring so much more life and vitality to the music if you did that.  Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Peter, will try speeding it up.

I couldn't find a metronome mark for this piece: so was trying to use my musical instincts!

Think it probably should be a bit slower in the orchestral version, as it seems to work better that way; but I probably went too far.

Actually haven't done Ravel before. So far I've orchestrated Debussy and Schumann. 

How about this version?

I've basically split the difference between the tempo of my original rendition, and the piano performance mentioned above.

Also added lots of tempo variations. 

It's definitely better, but imo there should be a faster tempo/accel. up to bars 6 - 7 and 14 - 15.  Cuz those figures seem like the culmination of the phrase.  If it were my piece I would accel. up to that point and then perhaps rit. afterward.  But it's your orchestration and you should of course do what you feel is right.  Thanks for sharing this update!

Alex I enjoyed your orchestration ... especially the use of different chamber sections: winds, brass, strings in the reiteration of the theme.

Mark

Thanks Mark!

I seem to have caught the orchestration bug recently. Have made another one today, this time of a never previously orchestrated Prelude by Ravel.