About this edition
Ravel's Le tombeau de Couperin stands as one of the great orchestral transformations of the twentieth century — a four-movement suite (Prélude, Forlane, Menuet, and Rigaudon) drawn by the composer himself from his 1917 piano original. Composed as a tribute to friends lost in the First World War and to the French Baroque tombeau tradition, the orchestral version (1919) is celebrated for its luminous, chamber-like scoring: a transparent ensemble built around solo woodwinds, two horns, harp, and strings, with the oboe given some of the most cherished solo writing in the entire orchestral literature.
This printing reproduces the authoritative first orchestral edition issued by Durand & Fils, Paris, in 1919 (plate number D. & F. 9794), the publisher with whom Ravel maintained a lifelong professional relationship and who produced the first editions of nearly all his major works. Durand's Ravel scores were prepared under the composer's direct supervision and remain the foundational sources consulted by conductors, scholars, and performers worldwide. The clarity of the original Durand engraving — generous spacing, elegant typography, and meticulous part layout — makes it a pleasure to study and conduct from.
About this edition:
- Format: full orchestral score (study and conducting reference)
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches, printed for clear, comfortable reading
- Reproduced faithfully from the 1919 Durand & Fils first orchestral edition (plate D. & F. 9794)
- Sourced from a public domain historical copy
- Published by Purple 4R Publishing
This score is offered as a high-quality reprint of a public domain historical edition, making one of Ravel's most beloved orchestral works readily available to conductors, students, and music lovers everywhere. We hope it serves you well in study, rehearsal, and performance.
