Pavane

For the people of France: Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess)

Maurice Ravel, French composer (1899)

Performed by the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim, conductor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B45q0caSS0Y

Contemporary version by Emuir Deodato

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6teLelbj0dg

We mourn France's and the world's great loss.

The above versions are, however, not from 1899.  His later orchestration only dates to 1910.  Here's a clip showing how Ravel originally wrote it (my understanding is that most or all orchestral pieces by him were originally written as piano solos), before his later orchestration and others' version for different instrumental combinations:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEUpQ5pCSOQ

here's one with a great view of a performer's hands:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxQkV0pdO-0

and one with a great view of a performer's face:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYFmHRgjClw

Everyone who loves Ravels orchestration of Mussorgsky's "Pictures At An Exhibition" should check out the original piano piece by Mussorgsky, which I think is, in some ways, a better work.

chopin said:

The above versions are, however, not from 1899.  His later orchestration only dates to 1910.  Here's a clip showing how Ravel originally wrote it (my understanding is that most or all orchestral pieces by him were originally written as piano solos), before his later orchestration and others' version for different instrumental combinations:

This is why MOL is great.  I knew that someone here would know a great deal more about Ravel than I did.  Thanks for the info.