Joseph Maurice Ravel ： Miroirs No4 Alborada del gracioso in d-moll

The fourth piece of Ravel’s Miroirs is a brilliant miniature in d minor, portraying a jester through dry sonorities and sharp rhythms. From the opening, a melody with delicate ornaments and an accompaniment suggestive of strummed guitar move forward with great energy, contrasting tense, fast passages with more lyrical and relaxed sections. Toward the end, the sense of motion rises again, leading to a vivid conclusion. The ornaments should be light and clear, while the rhythm should retain a hard-edged crispness; carefully bringing out the phrasing of the melody and the resonance of the inner voices is central to the piece’s appeal. Even in the rapid passages, avoiding excessive force and using the pedal sparingly to preserve the contours of the sound will highlight the work’s wit and color.