Maurice Ravel: Jeux D’eau for piano played by Martha Argerich.

I was first introduced to Maurice Ravel’s sparkling piano piece ‘Jeux D’eau’ with a performance by Martha Argerich. This recording had been made as far back as 1960. I did not realise at that time that this was her début album. It was released by Deutsche Grammophon the following year (SLPM 138 672). The other works on this LP were the great Scherzo no.3 in C sharp minor, op.39 by Frederic Chopin, Johannes Brahms’s Rhapsodies, op.79, no, 1 in B minor and no, 2 in G minor, Sergei Prokofiev’s’ Toccata, op.11 and Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody, no.6. It was a splendid introduction to romantic and modernist music. But it was the impressionistic ‘Jeux D’eau’ that impressed me most.

I had borrowed this now rather tatty album from Coatbridge High School music library. I guess that I had heard precious little Ravel in those days during the very early 1970s. Perhaps his beautiful, but hackneyed, Pavane pour une infante défunte had crossed my path.  I was bewitched by Argerich’s playing then and have been a fan ever since.

It was ‘Jeux D’eau’ along with Debussy’s La Mer that made me a lifelong enthusiast of all things musically impressionistic.

This piece was dedicated to Ravel’s teacher Gabriel Faure.  It was likely to have been inspired by Franz Liszt’s ‘Les Jeux d’eaux à la Villa d'Este’ (The Fountains of the Villa d'Este) in F♯ major from the Troisième année of the Années de pèlerinage (1877).  Despite the influence of Debussy on Ravel, it must be recalled that the elder composer had yet to write his largely impressionistic piano pieces by 1901 when ‘Jeux D’eau’ was first heard. Estampes and Images were not written until 1903 and 1905-12 respectively. If anything, Debussy studied ‘Jeux D’eau’ and seemingly learnt much from it. This perusal would later result in the evocative ‘Reflets dans l ‘eau.’

The score was headed with a quotation from Henri de Régnier (1864-1936): ‘Dieu fluvial riant de l’eau qui le chatouille’ – the river god laughing at the water that tickles him. Despite the river god ascription, the image behind this piece is the goddess Latona sitting naked atop of a ‘wedding cake’ fountain sculpture at Versailles.

Ravel wrote about this piece, ‘In ‘Jeux D’eau’ can be found the origins of all the pianistic innovations that people notice in my works. The piece was inspired by the sound of water, of fountains, waterfalls and streams. It is built on the two motives of a sonata form movement, without, however, conforming to the classical scheme of tonality.’ Despite this loosely classical formal scheme, the overall impression to the listener is of ‘cascading arpeggios.’

‘Jeux D’eau’ was received its first public performance in 1902, by the Catalan pianist Ricardo Vines on 5 April. It had been heard in private previously.        

The American High-Fidelity Magazine (May 1962) gave a rave review of this new album. Harris Goldsmith begins his essay by suggesting that ‘Even if Miss Argerich never makes another record [she subsequently made dozens] the present disc will offer evidence that she is one of the leading technicians of our era. Furthermore, she is revealed as a possessor of an original temperament, fine musical taste, and rhythmic finesse…’ Of the present ‘Jeux D’eau’ he says only that ‘it has plenty of dash and brilliance, but also a ravishing translucency.’

I looked up the contemporary review in The Gramophone (January 1963). It was mixed and I guess a little patronising. Stephen Plaistow’s overall contention was that in a few years’ time, she may play this recital twice as well. He was impressed by ‘the range of colour in Ravel’s ‘Jeux D’eau’, where she makes the river god laugh with a thoroughly authentic sound.’  Alas the Brahms and the Chopin suffered from ‘feminine waywardness.’ He closes his review by stating that he ‘can at least be enthusiastic about the quality of the recording: in stereo it is outstanding.’ He did appreciate the ‘bravura thrills’ of the Prokofiev and the Liszt.

I listened to the CD re-release of this album whilst musing in this post. I found the Brahms and the Chopin perfectly acceptable and well-wrought. Argerich’s take on Brahms is to play the two rhapsodies ‘caressingly’ and without the thickness of texture sometimes given to these pieces.  The Chopin is a mercurial performance that showcases the ‘scherzando’ mood of the piece. It is not expansive and broad like Artur Rubenstein or Van Cliburn’s interpretation. I still think the Prokofiev Toccata is one of the best performances of this work I have heard.

Martha Argerich’s 1961 performance of ‘Jeux D’eau’ is posted on YouTube. Equally fascinating is a video of her 1977 recital, where she makes the piece look so ‘easy.’ Finally, it is interesting to watch the piece played with the score. This is played by Jean-Yves Thibaudet.