In 1909, the Revue musicale mensuelle de la Société Internationale de Musique commissioned six French composers to write pieces in commemoration of the centenary of the death of Franz Joseph Haydn. Ravel’s 54-bar-long minuet is built on a five-note motif outlining Haydn’s name.
The French system for musical cryptograms involves the entire alphabet, with H-N, O-U, and V-Z in lines under the original diatonic notes A-G. In Ravel’s score, H is represented by B natural, A and D are represented by their respective pitches, Y becomes D natural, and N becomes G natural. We hear these pitches in the rising motif in the top voice in the opening of the piece.
Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn is a dreamy exploration of the motif. With the sudden return of the opening theme, the adventurous journey of the middle section is cut short, and we return home.
Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho marks the 150th anniversary of Ravel’s birth, celebrated throughout 2025, with an album featuring the composer’s complete solo piano works and concerti.
Recordings
- Ravel: Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn, Seong-Jin Cho Deutsche Grammophon
Featured Image: “Autumn Effect at Argenteuil” (1873), Claude Monet