RAVEL - Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte

I was in shock when I first heard Ravel himself playing this. We are so flooded with orchestral sentimental performances of this piece, I was surprised to know it was originally written for piano and Ravel himself said "it is a pavane for a dead princess, not dead pavane for a princess", criticizing slow tempi usually practiced. Pavane is a processional dance, and as such it must move forward, never drag. Ravel's piano writing here seems like that of Chabrier, completely different from his later impressionist/symbolist years. This is a dance. It is not slow, and it is not sad. Ravel intended this pavane to be a happy memory of the child dancing this piece. Follow the score with attention to articulation and rests, and this will never sound mellowy as usually misinterpreted.