Ravel – Valses Nobles et Sentimentales for Trombone Quartet (PDF Download)

The music of Ravel’s suite of eight waltzes in various styles was written in 1911, nine years before his iconic orchestral work La Valse, and the pieces share many stylistic similarities. Both works use the waltz form as a platform for a variety of complex harmonies and sound-worlds, and the waltzes in this particular suite range from the serene and elegant, to the bizarre and borderline grotesque. Originally composed for solo piano, the Valses Nobles et Sentimentales were later orchestrated by the composer, and the colours and effects used in this particular arrangement draw their inspiration from both sources.