Gaspard de la nuit, M. 55

Gaspard de la nuit : Trois poèmes pour piano d'après Aloysius Bertrand is the full title of this composition by Ravel. In fact, the pieces of this suite are inspired by a collection of poems published in 1842 by Aloysius Bertrand, which fascinated the composer by their dark and gothic atmosphere, reminiscent of an Edgar Allan Poe novel. As if in a grimoire, Gaspard de la nuit tells the story of three supernatural creatures taken from these poems: the water nymph Ondine, the ambiguous and disturbing hangman from the Gibet, and finishing with Scarbo, a small and diabolic goblin. The wonderful music of Gaspard de la nuit was created to express Ravel’s angst over the death of his father. And yet, a demoniac voice creeps into his music… It is the « devilish desire to seduce and delight » (Sandrine Larraburu Bédouret, 2014).