Alborada del gracioso
This guide follows Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso “orchestral” (1919) in one part.
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Follow all 3 sections as they play
0:06–7:26
The first dance (A) imitates strumming guitars: the first harp plays near the soundboard with plucked violins and violas, and the music stays quiet for a while before a burst of sound tinted by castanets, tambourine, cymbals and harp. Then the central song (B) begins. A loud chord leads to a plaintive bassoon, the clown's song, over shimmering strings. The dance (A′) in the original , with four added of woodwind tremolos, and ends in a grand .
- A
- B
Section boundaries in music are not always sharp; a transition may be felt over a pause or a held chord.
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