Ravel-Mother Goose (Movement III. The Empress of The Pagodas) arr. Natale (SP)-2M

Though based on a French fairytale, the third movement of the Mother Goose suite by Maurice Ravel takes inspiration from the sound colors of Eastern music through the scope of a Western lens. The use of pentatonic scales translates well to marimba, which has its roots in the West African gyil - an instrument that is also distinctly pentatonic.

The composition itself reflects the transformation of the princess Laideronnette, cursed with ugliness and accompanied by a serpent. The music oscillates between delicate playfulness and a ceremonial grandeur, reflecting the duality of Laideronnette’s transformation from cursed “Little Ugly Girl” to revered empress of a fantastical Eastern land inhabited by porcelain beings.

• Number of players: 2
• Difficulty: Advanced
• Instrumentation: 2 5 octave marimbas