Determination of Structure

How can a performer’s voice complement that of a theorist in the analysis of a musical work? This chapter takes the opening cadenza of Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand as a case study. Certain performance considerations—embodied facets, instrumental affordances, and affective implications—comprise warp and weft not only of the Concerto’s execution and interpretation, but also of its structure and meaning. The chapter explores the cadenza: visual and kinesthetic aspects, rhetorical and tonal function, form and structure, rhythmic features and performance issues. The analysis is informed by the authors’ experiences of performing the Concerto and by historical recordings of the work. Video performances and audio examples complement the written text.