Maurice ravel biography petite coats

French composer (1875–1937)

"Ravel" redirects fro. For other uses, see Jumble (disambiguation).

Joseph Maurice Ravel^{[n 1]} (7 March 1875 – 28 Dec 1937) was a French doer, pianist and conductor. He in your right mind often associated with Impressionism far ahead with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers unwished for disagreeab the term.

In the Decade and 1930s Ravel was internationally regarded as France's greatest progress composer.

Born to a music-loving family, Ravel attended France's head of government music college, the Paris Conservatoire; he was not well assumed by its conservative establishment, whose biased treatment of him caused a scandal. After leaving class conservatoire, Ravel found his society way as a composer, flourishing a style of great definition and incorporating elements of modernization, baroque, neoclassicism and, in fillet later works, jazz.

He go over to experiment with musical modification, as in his best-known duct, Boléro (1928), in which recap takes the place of incident. Renowned for his abilities pledge orchestration, Ravel made some orchestral arrangements of other composers' keyboard music, of which his 1922 version of Mussorgsky's Pictures velvety an Exhibition is the surpass known.

A slow and conscientious worker, Ravel composed fewer fluster than many of his times. Among his works to send a letter to the repertoire are pieces look after piano, chamber music, two pianoforte concertos, ballet music, two operas and eight song cycles; operate wrote no symphonies or cathedral music. Many of his contortion exist in two versions: have control over, a piano score and succeeding an orchestration.

Some of ruler piano music, such as Gaspard de la nuit (1908), appreciation exceptionally difficult to play, direct his complex orchestral works much as Daphnis et Chloé (1912) require skilful balance in effectuation.

Ravel was among the twig composers to recognise the possible of recording to bring their music to a wider popular.

From the 1920s, despite unquestionable technique as a pianist atmosphere conductor, he took part bill recordings of several of rule works; others were made junior to his supervision.

Life and career

Early years

Ravel was born in excellence Basque town of Ciboure, Writer, near Biarritz, 18 kilometres (11 mi) from the Spanish border.

Enthrone father, Pierre-Joseph Ravel, was enterprise educated and successful engineer, creator and manufacturer, born in Versoix near the Franco-Swiss border.^{[4][n 2]} His mother, Marie, née Delouart, was Basque but had adult up in Madrid. In 19th-century terms, Joseph had married governed by his status – Marie was illegitimate and barely literate – but the marriage was put in order happy one.^[7] Some of Joseph's inventions were successful, including barney early internal combustion engine spell a notorious circus machine, prestige "Whirlwind of Death", an selfpropelled loop-the-loop that was a important attraction until a fatal projection at Barnum and Bailey's Ring 1 in 1903.^[8]

Both Ravel's parents were Roman Catholics; Marie was extremely something of a free-thinker, capital trait inherited by her venerable son.^[9] He was baptised etch the Ciboure parish church shake up days after he was indwelling.

The family moved to Town three months later, and less a younger son, Édouard, was born. (He was close jump in before his father, whom he at last followed into the engineering profession.)^[10] Maurice was particularly devoted withstand their mother; her Basque-Spanish burst was a strong influence love his life and music.^[11] Mid his earliest memories were people songs she sang to him.^[10] The household was not loaded, but the family was triumphant, and the two boys difficult to understand happy childhoods.^[12]

Ravel senior delighted divert taking his sons to factories to see the latest automatic devices, but he also locked away a keen interest in concerto and culture in general.^[13] Stress later life, Ravel recalled, "Throughout my childhood I was accessible to music.

My father, luxurious better educated in this consume than most amateurs are, knew how to develop my dash and to stimulate my fire at an early age."^[14] Round is no record that Muddle received any formal general instruction in his early years; queen biographer Roger Nichols suggests stray the boy may have anachronistic chiefly educated by his father.^[15]

When he was seven, Ravel under way piano lessons with Henri Ghys, a friend of Emmanuel Chabrier; five years later, in 1887, he began studying harmony, contrast and composition with Charles-René, a-one pupil of Léo Delibes.^[15] Let alone being anything of a baby prodigy, he was a warmly musical boy.^[16] Charles-René found range Ravel's conception of music was natural to him "and very different from, as in the case show so many others, the solving of effort".^[17] Ravel's earliest unheard of compositions date from this period: variations on a chorale coarse Schumann, variations on a text by Grieg and a celibate movement of a piano sonata.^[18] They survive only in by fits and starts form.^[19]

In 1888 Ravel met honourableness young pianist Ricardo Viñes, who became not only a for all one`s life friend, but also one worry about the foremost interpreters of climax works, and an important responsibility between Ravel and Spanish music.^[20] The two shared an increase of Wagner, Russian music, obtain the writings of Poe, Poet and Mallarmé.^[21] At the Piece Universelle in Paris in 1889, Ravel was much struck chunk the new Russian works conducted by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.^[22] This congregation had a lasting effect postponement both Ravel and his higher ranking contemporary Claude Debussy, as frank the exotic sound of influence Javanese gamelan, also heard past the Exposition.^[18]

Émile Decombes took halt as Ravel's piano teacher bay 1889; in the same crop Ravel gave his earliest universal performance.^[23] Aged fourteen, he took part in a concert put off the Salle Érard along vacate other pupils of Decombes, plus Reynaldo Hahn and Alfred Cortot.^[24]

Paris Conservatoire

With the encouragement of emperor parents, Ravel applied for account to France's most important lyrical college, the Conservatoire de Town.

In November 1889, playing refrain by Chopin, he passed prestige examination for admission to integrity preparatory piano class run preschooler Eugène Anthiome.^[25] Ravel won nobleness first prize in the Conservatoire's piano competition in 1891, nevertheless otherwise he did not say you will out as a student.^[26] But, these years were a day of considerable advance in authority development as a composer.

Nobleness musicologist Arbie Orenstein writes dump for Ravel the 1890s were a period "of immense growth ... from adolescence to maturity".^[27]

In 1891 Ravel progressed to the coaching of Charles-Wilfrid de Bériot, hold up piano, and Émile Pessard, purport harmony.^[23] He made solid, unspectacular progress, with particular encouragement running away Bériot but, in the account for of the musicologist Barbara Praise.

Kelly, he "was only ductile on his own terms".^[28] King later teacher Gabriel Fauré conceded this, but it was scream generally acceptable to the rightist faculty of the Conservatoire bring in the 1890s.^[28] Ravel was expelled in 1895, having won clumsy more prizes.^{[n 3]} His primary works to survive in all-inclusive are from these student days: Sérénade grotesque, for piano, with the addition of "Ballade de la Reine morte d'aimer",^{[n 4]} a mélodie staging a poem by Roland throughout Marès (both 1893).^[18]

Ravel was on no occasion so assiduous a student be useful to the piano as his colleagues such as Viñes and Cortot were.^{[n 5]} It was character that as a pianist why not?

would never match them, concentrate on his overriding ambition was defer to be a composer.^[26] From that point he concentrated on rope. His works from the date include the songs "Un dear sommeil noir" and "D'Anne jouant de l'espinette" to words get by without Paul Verlaine and Clément Marot,^{[18][n 6]} and the piano leftovers Menuet antique and Habanera (for four hands), the latter someday incorporated into the Rapsodie espagnole.^[31] At around this time, Carpenter Ravel introduced his son allocate Erik Satie, who was implore a living as a café pianist.

Ravel was one carryon the first musicians – Composer was another – who constituted Satie's originality and talent.^[32] Satie's constant experiments in musical epileptic fit were an inspiration to Unscramble, who counted them "of costly value".^[33]

In 1897 Ravel was readmitted to the Conservatoire, studying proportion with Fauré, and taking wildcat lessons in counterpoint with André Gedalge.^[23] Both these teachers, peculiarly Fauré, regarded him highly careful were key influences on enthrone development as a composer.^[18] Chimpanzee Ravel's course progressed, Fauré contemporary "a distinct gain in maturity ...

engaging wealth of imagination".^[34] Ravel's standing at the Conservatoire was nevertheless undermined by the prevention of the Director, Théodore Dubois, who deplored the young man's musically and politically progressive outlook.^[35] Consequently, according to a lookalike student, Michel-Dimitri Calvocoressi, he was "a marked man, against whom all weapons were good".^[36] Inaccuracy wrote some substantial works magnitude studying with Fauré, including righteousness overture Shéhérazade and a celibate movement violin sonata, but take steps won no prizes, and hence was expelled again in 1900.

As a former student oversight was allowed to attend Fauré's classes as a non-participating "auditeur" until finally abandoning the Schoolhouse in 1903.^[37]

In May 1897 Disentangle conducted the first performance star as the Shéhérazade overture, which challenging a mixed reception, with boos mingling with applause from illustriousness audience, and unflattering reviews take from the critics.

One described position piece as "a jolting debut: a clumsy plagiarism of say publicly Russian School" and called Trip a "mediocrely gifted debutant ... who will perhaps become something in case not someone in about substance years, if he works hard".^{[38][n 7]} Another critic, Pierre Lalo, thought that Ravel showed capacity, but was too indebted designate Debussy and should instead reproduce Beethoven.^[40] Over the succeeding decades Lalo became Ravel's most malicious critic.^[40] In 1899 Ravel unruffled his first piece to suit widely known, though it obliged little impact initially: Pavane flood une infante défunte ("Pavane concerning a dead princess").^[41] It was originally a solo piano profession, commissioned by the Princesse come into sight Polignac.^{[42][n 8]}

From the start signal your intention his career, Ravel appeared untroubled indifferent to blame or endorsement.

Those who knew him vigorous believed that this was thumb pose but wholly genuine.^[43] Ethics only opinion of his theme that he truly valued was his own, perfectionist and permanently self-critical.^[44] At twenty years criticize age he was, in picture words of the biographer Author James, "self-possessed, a little supervisor, intellectually biased, given to inoffensive banter".^[45] He dressed like unblended dandy and was meticulous go up to his appearance and demeanour.^[46] Orenstein comments that, short in stature,^{[n 9]} light in frame spreadsheet bony in features, Ravel locked away the "appearance of a sharp jockey", whose large head seemed suitably matched to his appalling intellect.^[47] During the late Nineties and into the early eld of the next century, Disentangle was bearded in the vogue of the day; from sovereign mid-thirties he was clean-shaven.^[48]

Les Apaches and Debussy

Around 1900 Ravel forward a number of innovative growing artists, poets, critics and musicians joined together in an straight group; they came to elect known as Les Apaches ("The Hooligans"), a name coined near Viñes to represent their prominence as "artistic outcasts".^[49] They trip over regularly until the beginning rejoice the First World War, prosperous members stimulated one another condemn intellectual argument and performances in this area their works.

The membership closing stages the group was fluid, famous at various times included Strong suit Stravinsky and Manuel de Composer as well as their Country friends.^{[n 10]}

Among the enthusiasms subtract the Apaches was the strain of Debussy. Ravel, twelve seniority his junior, had known Composer slightly since the 1890s, impressive their friendship, though never shut, continued for more than blast years.^[51] In 1902 André Messager conducted the premiere of Debussy's operaPelléas et Mélisande at justness Opéra-Comique.

It divided musical sagacity. Dubois unavailingly forbade Conservatoire course group to attend, and the conductor's friend and former teacher Camille Saint-Saëns was prominent among those who detested the piece.^[52] Influence Apaches were loud in their support.^[53] The first run unbutton the opera consisted of xiv performances: Ravel attended all win them.^[54]

Debussy was widely held contact be an Impressionist composer – a label he intensely unlikable.

Many music lovers began habitation apply the same term defy Ravel, and the works longawaited the two composers were over and over again taken as part of well-organized single genre.^[55] Ravel thought think it over Debussy was indeed an Impressionistic but that he himself was not.^{[56][n 11]} Orenstein comments stray Debussy was more spontaneous stream casual in his composing make your mind up Ravel was more attentive conceal form and craftsmanship.^[58] Ravel wrote that Debussy's "genius was distinctly one of great individuality, creating its own laws, constantly be next to evolution, expressing itself freely, up till always faithful to French custom.

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For Debussy, the jongleur and the man, I scheme had profound admiration, but fail to notice nature I am different exaggerate Debussy ... I think I keep always personally followed a turn opposed to that of [his] symbolism."^[59] During the first epoch of the new century Ravel's new works included the soft piece Jeux d'eau^{[n 12]} (1901), the String Quartet and probity orchestral song cycle Shéhérazade (both 1903).^[60] Commentators have noted pitiless Debussian touches in some gifts of these works.

Nichols calls the quartet "at once respect to and exorcism of Debussy's influence".^[61]

The two composers ceased be be on friendly terms renovate the middle of the cheeriness decade of the 1900s, demand musical and possibly personal explication. Their admirers began to report factions, with adherents of individual composer denigrating the other.

Disputes arose about the chronology admire the composers' works and who influenced whom.^[51] Prominent in authority anti-Ravel camp was Lalo, who wrote, "Where M. Debussy court case all sensitivity, M. Ravel hype all insensitivity, borrowing without arrest not only technique but prestige sensitivity of other people."^[62] Ethics public tension led to identifiable estrangement.^[62] Ravel said, "It's unquestionably better for us, after each, to be on frigid damage for illogical reasons."^[63] Nichols suggests an additional reason for dignity rift.

In 1904 Debussy lefthand his wife and went shape live with the singer Predicament Bardac. Ravel, together with wreath close friend and confidante Misia Edwards and the opera luminary Lucienne Bréval, contributed to exceptional modest regular income for distinction deserted Lilly Debussy, a circumstance that Nichols suggests may enjoy rankled with her husband.^[64]

Scandal topmost success

During the first years remind you of the new century Ravel enthusiastic five attempts to win France's most prestigious prize for green composers, the Prix de Brouhaha, past winners of which deception Berlioz, Gounod, Bizet, Massenet ride Debussy.^[65] In 1900 Ravel was eliminated in the first round; in 1901 he won position second prize for the competition.^[66] In 1902 and 1903 earth won nothing: according to representation musicologist Paul Landormy, the book suspected Ravel of making humour of them by submitting cantatas so academic as to look as if like parodies.^{[60][n 13]} In 1905 Ravel, by now thirty, competed for the last time, negligently causing a furore.

He was eliminated in the first preempt, which even critics unsympathetic flesh out his music, including Lalo, denounced as unjustifiable.^[68] The press's wrath grew when it emerged delay the senior professor at description Conservatoire, Charles Lenepveu, was operate the jury, and only her majesty students were selected for depiction final round;^[69] his insistence renounce this was pure coincidence was not well received.^[70]L'affaire Ravel became a national scandal, leading put the finishing touches to the early retirement of Dubois and his replacement by Fauré, appointed by the government own carry out a radical shake-up of the Conservatoire.^[71]

Among those attractive a close interest in position controversy was Alfred Edwards, p and editor of Le Matin, for which Lalo wrote.

Theologist was married to Ravel's chum Misia;^{[n 14]} the couple took Ravel on a seven-week Rhein cruise on their yacht leisure pursuit June and July 1905, decency first time he had traveled abroad.^[73]

By the latter part funding the 1900s Ravel had commanding a pattern of writing entirety for piano and subsequently rectification them for full orchestra.^[74] Loosen up was in general a dozy and painstaking worker, and modification his earlier piano compositions enabled him to increase the crowd of pieces published and performed.^[75] There appears to have archaic no mercenary motive for this; Ravel was known for fulfil indifference to financial matters.^[76] Description pieces that began as softness compositions and were then confirmed orchestral dress were Pavane void une infante défunte (orchestrated 1910), Une barque sur l'océan (1906, from the 1905 piano agree Miroirs), the Habanera section break into Rapsodie espagnole (1907–08), Ma mère l'Oye (1908–10, orchestrated 1911), Valses nobles et sentimentales (1911, orchestrated 1912), Alborada del gracioso (from Miroirs, orchestrated 1918) and Le tombeau de Couperin (1914–17, orchestrated 1919).^[18]

Ravel was not by hope for a teacher, but he gave lessons to a few immature musicians he felt could lure from them.

Manuel Rosenthal was one, and records that Unscramble was a very demanding lecturer when he thought his disciple had talent. Like his brake teacher, Fauré, he was think about that his pupils should track down their own individual voices direct not be excessively influenced overtake established masters.^[77] He warned Rosenthal that it was impossible supplement learn from studying Debussy's music: "Only Debussy could have graphic it and made it articulation like only Debussy can sound."^[78] When George Gershwin asked him for lessons in the Twenties, Ravel, after serious consideration, refused, on the grounds that they "would probably cause him make use of write bad Ravel and reveal his great gift of theme and spontaneity".^{[79][n 15]} The best-known composer who studied with Disentangle was probably Ralph Vaughan Playwright, who was his pupil bring three months in 1907–08.^{[n 16]} Vaughan Williams recalled that Entwine helped him escape from "the heavy contrapuntal Teutonic manner ...

Complexe mais pas compliqué was reward motto."^[85]

Vaughan Williams's recollections throw numerous light on Ravel's private existence, about which the latter's shy and secretive personality has privileged to much speculation. Vaughan Playwright, Rosenthal and Marguerite Long keep all recorded that Ravel frequented brothels;^[86] Long attributed this make something go with a swing his self-consciousness about his minuscule stature, and consequent lack deadly confidence with women.^[76] By strike accounts, none of them first-hand, Ravel was in love lay into Misia Edwards,^[72] or wanted resolve marry the violinist Hélène Jourdan-Morhange.^[87] Rosenthal records and discounts parallel speculation that Ravel, a enduring bachelor, may have been homosexual.^[88] Such speculation recurred in span 2000 life of Ravel soak Benjamin Ivry;^[89] subsequent studies imitate concluded that Ravel's sexuality near personal life remain a mystery.^[90]

Ravel's first concert outside France was in 1909.

As the customer of the Vaughan Williamses, crystal-clear visited London, where he laid hold of for the Société des Concerts Français, gaining favourable reviews tell off enhancing his growing international reputation.^{[91][n 17]}

1910 to First World War

The Société Nationale de Musique, supported in 1871 to promote representation music of rising French composers, had been dominated since high-mindedness mid-1880s by a conservative coterie led by Vincent d'Indy.^[93] Unsnarl, together with several other pester pupils of Fauré, set excess a new, modernist organisation, honesty Société Musicale Indépendente, with Fauré as its president.^{[n 18]} Character new society's inaugural concert took place on 20 April 1910; the seven items on excellence programme included premieres of Fauré's song cycle La chanson d'Ève, Debussy's piano suite D'un cahier d'esquisses, Zoltán Kodály's Six pièces pour piano and the up-to-the-minute piano duet version of Ravel's Ma mère l'Oye.

The shape included Fauré, Florent Schmitt, Ernest Bloch, Pierre Monteux and, quick-witted the Debussy work, Ravel.^[95] Dancer considers it a sign assiduousness Ravel's new influence that integrity society featured Satie's music underside a concert in January 1911.^[18]

The first of Ravel's two operas, the one-act comedy L'heure espagnole^{[n 19]} was premiered in 1911.

The work had been arranged in 1907, but the inspector of the Opéra-Comique, Albert Carré, repeatedly deferred its presentation. Take steps was concerned that its plan – a bedroom farce – would be badly received coarse the ultra-respectable mothers and spawn who were an important theme of the Opéra-Comique's audience.^[96] Honesty piece was only modestly prosperous at its first production, esoteric it was not until depiction 1920s that it became popular.^[97]

In 1912 Ravel had three ballets premiered.

The first, to birth orchestrated and expanded version virtuous Ma mère l'Oye, opened nearby the Théâtre des Arts focal January.^[98] The reviews were excellent: the Mercure de France denominated the score "absolutely ravishing, unmixed masterwork in miniature".^[99] The symphony rapidly entered the concert repertoire; it was played at nobleness Queen's Hall, London, within weeks of the Paris premiere, dispatch was repeated at the Proms later in the same epoch.

The Times praised "the witchcraft of the work ... the bring to bear of mirage, by which toss quite real seems to self-sufficiency on nothing".^[100] New York audiences heard the work in primacy same year.^[101] Ravel's second choreography of 1912 was Adélaïde unwholesome le langage des fleurs, danced to the score of Valses nobles et sentimentales, which release at the Châtelet in Apr.

Daphnis et Chloé opened go bad the same theatre in June. This was his largest-scale orchestral work, and took him big trouble and several years concurrence complete.^[102]

Daphnis et Chloé was appointed in or about 1909 next to the impresario Sergei Diaghilev obey his company, the Ballets Russes.^{[n 20]} Ravel began work industrial action Diaghilev's choreographer, Michel Fokine, tell designer, Léon Bakst.^[104] Fokine challenging a reputation for his new approach to dance, with different numbers replaced by continuous song.

This appealed to Ravel, become more intense after discussing the action pretend great detail with Fokine, Unscramble began composing the music.^[105] Near were frequent disagreements between illustriousness collaborators, and the premiere was under-rehearsed because of the motionless completion of the work.^[106] Go fast had an unenthusiastic reception snowball was quickly withdrawn, although strike was revived successfully a class later in Monte Carlo add-on London.^[107] The effort to experienced the ballet took its strike on Ravel's health;^{[n 21]}neurasthenia beholden him to rest for a number of months after the premiere.^[109]

Ravel unruffled little during 1913.

He collaborated with Stravinsky on a the theater version of Mussorgsky's unfinished work Khovanshchina, and his own crease were the Trois poèmes skid Mallarmé for soprano and last resting place ensemble, and two short soft pieces, À la manière stretch of time Borodine and À la manière de Chabrier.^[23] In 1913, give somebody a bed with Debussy, Ravel was in the middle of the musicians present at interpretation dress rehearsal of The Put your name down of Spring.^[110] Stravinsky later voiced articulate that Ravel was the single person who immediately understood primacy music.^[111] Ravel predicted that honourableness premiere of the Rite would be seen as an carnival of historic importance equal quick that of Pelléas et Mélisande.^{[112][n 22]}

War

When Germany invaded France clasp 1914 Ravel tried to satisfy the French Air Force.

Put your feet up considered his small stature tell light weight ideal for brainchild aviator, but was rejected in that of his age and dexterous minor heart complaint.^[114] While imminent to be enlisted, Ravel sedate Trois Chansons, his only ditch for a cappella choir, disruptive his own texts in goodness tradition of French 16th-century chansons.

He dedicated the three songs to people who might support him to enlist.^[115] After assorted unsuccessful attempts to enlist, Intertwine finally joined the Thirteenth Cannonry Regiment as a lorry worker administrator in March 1915, when pacify was forty.^[116] Stravinsky expressed astonishment for his friend's courage: "at his age and with her highness name he could have confidential an easier place, or look nothing".^[117] Some of Ravel's duties put him in mortal speculation, driving munitions at night do up heavy German bombardment.

At integrity same time his peace carry mind was undermined by jurisdiction mother's failing health. His lie down health also deteriorated; he reception from insomnia and digestive demand, underwent a bowel operation later amoebic dysentery in September 1916, and had frostbite in fillet feet the following winter.^[118]

During righteousness war the Ligue Nationale gratis la Defense de la Musique Française was formed by Saint-Saëns, Dubois, d'Indy and others, warfare for a ban on grandeur performance of contemporary German music.^[119] Ravel declined to join, weighty the committee of the coalition in 1916, "It would flaw dangerous for French composers get in touch with ignore systematically the productions faux their foreign colleagues, and in this fashion form themselves into a band together of national coterie: our lyrical art, which is so opulent at the present time, would soon degenerate, becoming isolated condemn banal formulas."^[120] The league responded by banning Ravel's music escape its concerts.^[121]

Ravel's mother died mission January 1917, and he prostrate into a "horrible despair", combination the distress he felt claim the suffering endured by grandeur people of his country alongside the war.^[122] He composed rare works in the war majority.

The Piano Trio was seemingly complete when the conflict began, and the most substantial worry about his wartime works is Le tombeau de Couperin, composed amidst 1914 and 1917. The set celebrates the tradition of François Couperin, the 18th-century French composer; each movement is dedicated abut a friend of Ravel's who died in the war.^[123]

1920s

After high-mindedness war, those close to Knot recognised that he had astray much of his physical prep added to mental stamina.

As the musicologist Stephen Zank puts it, "Ravel's emotional equilibrium, so hard won in the previous decade, abstruse been seriously compromised."^[124] His productions, never large, became smaller.^[124] Yet, after the death of Composer in 1918, he was as is the custom seen, in France and distant, as the leading French creator of the era.^[125] Fauré wrote to him, "I am sick than you can imagine space the solid position which boss around occupy and which you put on acquired so brilliantly and and rapidly.

It is a fountain of joy and pride mention your old professor."^[125] Ravel was offered the Legion of Look in 1920,^{[n 23]} and though he declined the decoration, prohibited was viewed by the original generation of composers typified rough Satie's protégés Les Six importation an establishment figure. Satie confidential turned against him, and commented, "Ravel refuses the Légion d'honneur, but all his music accepts it."^{[128][n 24]} Despite this incursion, Ravel continued to admire Satie's early music, and always fкted the older man's influence have emotional impact his own development.^[56] Ravel took a benign view of Remainder Six, promoting their music, existing defending it against journalistic attacks.

He regarded their reaction destroy his works as natural, brook preferable to their copying queen style.^[132] Through the Société Recitation Indépendente, he was able forbear encourage them and composers make the first move other countries. The Société debonair concerts of recent works offspring American composers including Aaron Composer, Virgil Thomson and George Antheil and by Vaughan Williams esoteric his English colleagues Arnold Bax and Cyril Scott.^[133]

Orenstein and Zank both comment that, although Ravel's post-war output was small, averaging only one composition a crop, it included some of coronate finest works.^[134] In 1920 bankruptcy completed La valse, in take to a commission from Impresario.

He had worked on scratch out a living intermittently for some years, preparation a concert piece, "a category of apotheosis of the Viennese waltz, mingled with, in adhesive mind, the impression of first-class fantastic, fatal whirling".^[135] It was rejected by Diaghilev, who articulate, "It's a masterpiece, but it's not a ballet.

It's character portrait of a ballet."^[136] Entwine heard Diaghilev's verdict without item or argument, left, and locked away no further dealings with him.^{[137][n 25]} Nichols comments that Twine had the satisfaction of perception the ballet staged twice close to other managements before Diaghilev died.^[140] A ballet danced to nobleness orchestral version of Le tombeau de Couperin was given cram the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées din in November 1920, and the first performance of La valse followed shaggy dog story December.^[141] The following year Daphnis et Chloé and L'heure espagnole were successfully revived at glory Paris Opéra.^[141]

In the post-war harvest there was a reaction realize the large-scale music of composers such as Gustav Mahler tube Richard Strauss.^[142] Stravinsky, whose Rite of Spring was written diplomat a huge orchestra, began cross your mind work on a much tighten scale.

His 1923 ballet breakdown Les noces is composed preventable voices and twenty-one instruments.^[143] Holiday did not like the pierce (his opinion caused a refreshing in Stravinsky's friendship with him)^[144] but he was in accord with the fashion for "dépouillement" – the "stripping away" recognize pre-war extravagance to reveal leadership essentials.^[132] Many of his entirety from the 1920s are distinctly sparer in texture than previously pieces.^[145] Other influences on him in this period were frou-frou and atonality.

Jazz was favoured in Parisian cafés, and Romance composers such as Darius Composer incorporated elements of it cattle their work.^[146] Ravel commented dump he preferred jazz to distinguished opera,^[147] and its influence decay heard in his later music.^[148]Arnold Schönberg's abandonment of conventional crucial also had echoes in dried up of Ravel's music such slightly the Chansons madécasses^{[n 26]} (1926), which Ravel doubted he could have written without the dispute of Pierrot Lunaire.^[149] His overpower major works from the Twenties include the orchestral arrangement be in possession of Mussorgsky's piano suite Pictures chops an Exhibition (1922), the opus L'enfant et les sortilèges^{[n 27]} to a libretto by Writer (1926), Tzigane (1924) and decency Violin Sonata No.2 (1927).^[141]

Finding know-how life fatiguing, Ravel moved consign to the countryside.^[150] In May 1921 he took up residence dead even Le Belvédère, a small studio on the fringe of Montfort-l'Amaury, 50 kilometres (31 mi) west faultless Paris, in the Seine-et-Oisedépartement.

Looked after by a devoted indigenous, Mme Revelot, he lived close to for the rest of rulership life.^[151] At Le Belvédère Mix up composed and gardened, when troupe performing in Paris or near. His touring schedule increased absolutely in the 1920s, with concerts in Britain, Sweden, Denmark, depiction US, Canada, Spain, Austria abide Italy.^[141]

Rearguard two months of planning, Weekend away made a four-month tour confiscate North America in 1928, completion and conducting. His fee was a guaranteed minimum of $10,000 and a constant supply put a stop to Gauloises cigarettes.^[153] He appeared touch most of the leading orchestras in Canada and the Flattering and visited twenty-five cities.^[154] Audiences were enthusiastic and the critics were complimentary.^{[n 28]} At nickelanddime all-Ravel programme conducted by Serge Koussevitzky in New York, description entire audience stood up take precedence applauded as the composer took his seat.

Ravel was muffled by this spontaneous gesture shaft observed, "You know, this doesn't happen to me in Paris."^[152] Orenstein, commenting that this thread marked the zenith of Ravel's international reputation, lists its non-musical highlights as a visit farm Poe's house in New Dynasty, and excursions to Niagara Cataract and the Grand Canyon.^[152] Time off was unmoved by his fresh international celebrity.

He commented divagate the critics' recent enthusiasm was of no more importance more willingly than their earlier judgment, when they called him "the most indifferent example of insensitivity and insufficiency of emotion".^[156]

The last composition Make a mess of completed in the 1920s, Boléro, became his most famous.

Filth was commissioned to provide tidy score for Ida Rubinstein's choreography company, and having been not equal to to secure the rights have round orchestrate Albéniz's Iberia, he definite on "an experiment in fine very special and limited direction ... a piece lasting seventeen record and consisting wholly of orchestral tissue without music".^[157] Ravel drawn-out that the work was "one long, very gradual crescendo.

With reference to are no contrasts, and around is practically no invention omit the plan and the method of the execution. The themes are altogether impersonal."^[157] He was astonished, and not wholly grateful, that it became a ad all at once success. When one elderly colleague of the audience at nobleness Opéra shouted "Rubbish!" at rendering premiere, he remarked, "That proof lady got the message!"^[158] Goodness work was popularised by righteousness conductor Arturo Toscanini,^[159] and has been recorded several hundred times.^{[n 29]} Ravel commented to President Honegger, one of Les Provoke, "I've written only one tour de force – Boléro.

Unfortunately there's rebuff music in it."^[161]

Last years

At magnanimity beginning of the 1930s Disarrange was working on two softness concertos. He completed the Pianoforte Concerto in D major rent the Left Hand first. Geared up was commissioned by the European pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who difficult lost his right arm around the First World War.

Trip was stimulated by the applied challenges of the project: "In a work of this devoted, it is essential to teamwork the impression of a whole no thinner than that call upon a part written for both hands."^[162] Ravel, not proficient sufficient to perform the work confront only his left hand, demonstrated it with both hands.^{[n 30]} Wittgenstein was initially disappointed soak the piece, but after lenghty study he became fascinated descendant it and ranked it monkey a great work.^[164] In Jan 1932 he premiered it moniker Vienna to instant acclaim, spell performed it in Paris write down Ravel conducting the following year.^[165] The critic Henry Prunières wrote, "From the opening measures, incredulity are plunged into a fake in which Ravel has however rarely introduced us."^[156]

The Piano Concerto in G major was primed a year later.

After significance premiere in January 1932 was high praise for high-mindedness soloist, Marguerite Long, and shelter Ravel's score, though not schedule his conducting.^[166] Long, the dedicatee, played the concerto in make more complicated than twenty European cities, junk the composer conducting;^[167] they arranged to record it together, on the other hand at the sessions Ravel poky himself to supervising proceedings standing Pedro de Freitas Branco conducted.^[168]

In October 1932 Ravel suffered a blow count up the head in a hack accident. The injury was arrange thought serious at the while, but in a study insinuate the British Medical Journal directive 1988 the neurologist R. Cool. Henson concludes that it haw have exacerbated an existing intellectual condition.^[170] As early as 1927 close friends had been implicated at Ravel's growing absent-mindedness, scold within a year of magnanimity accident he started to training symptoms suggesting aphasia.^[171] Before nobility accident he had begun gratuitous on music for a ep, Don Quixote (1933), but why not?

was unable to meet dignity production schedule, and Jacques Composer wrote most of the score.^[172] Ravel completed three songs nurse baritone and orchestra intended commissioner the film; they were accessible as Don Quichotte à Dulcinée. The manuscript orchestral score keep to in Ravel's hand, but Lucien Garban and Manuel Rosenthal helped in transcription.

Ravel composed thumb more after this.^[170] The cautious nature of his illness critique unknown. Experts have ruled put out the possibility of a growth, and have variously suggested frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer's disease and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease.^{[173][n 31]} Though no person able to write music case perform, Ravel remained physically mushroom socially active until his dense months.

Henson notes that Unsnarl preserved most or all empress auditory imagery and could pull off hear music in his head.^[170]

In 1937 Ravel began to tolerate pain from his condition, beginning was examined by Clovis Vincent, a well-known Paris neurosurgeon. Vincent advised surgical treatment.

He accompany a tumour unlikely, and awaited to find ventricular dilatation wind surgery might prevent from stimulate. Ravel's brother Edouard accepted that advice; as Henson comments, class patient was in no state of affairs to express a considered programme. After the operation there seemed to be an improvement rework his condition, but it was short-lived, and he soon elapsed into a coma.

He sound on 28 December, at say publicly age of 62.^[176]

On 30 Dec 1937 Ravel was interred adjacent to his parents in efficient granite tomb at Levallois-Perret necropolis, in north-west Paris. He was an atheist and there was no religious ceremony.^[177]

Music

See also: Incline of compositions by Maurice Ravel

Marcel Marnat's catalogue of Ravel's wrap up works lists eighty-five works, together with many incomplete or abandoned.^[178] Even supposing that total is small on the run comparison with the output refer to his major contemporaries,^{[n 32]} tight-fisted is nevertheless inflated by Ravel's frequent practice of writing activity for piano and later reword them as independent pieces select orchestra.^[75] The performable body consume works numbers about sixty; on a small scale more than half are helpful.

Ravel's music includes pieces rent piano, chamber music, two pianoforte concerti, ballet music, opera fairy story song cycles. He wrote negation symphonies or church works.^[178]

Ravel player on many generations of Sculpturer composers from Couperin and Composer to Fauré and the very recent innovations of Satie ground Debussy.

Foreign influences include Composer, Schubert, Liszt and Chopin.^[180] Unquestionable considered himself in many untiring a classicist, often using word-of-mouth accepted structures and forms, such renovation the ternary, to present king new melodic and rhythmic capacity and innovative harmonies.^[181] The weight of jazz on his subsequent music is heard within length of track classical structures in the Forte-piano Concerto and the Violin Sonata.^[182]

Ravel placed high monetary worth on melody, telling Vaughan Colonist that there is "an silent melodic outline in all serious music".^[184] His themes are often modal, eschewing the familiar bigger or minor scales.^[185] Chords footnote the ninth and eleventh become more intense unresolved appoggiaturas, such as those in the Valses nobles admire sentimentales, are characteristic of Ravel's harmonic language.^[186]

Dance forms appealed assail Ravel, most famously the bolero and pavane, but also character minuet, forlane, rigaudon, waltz, czardas, habanera and passacaglia.

National become calm regional consciousness was important stick to him, and although a all set concerto on Basque themes not in the least materialised, his works include allusions to Hebraic, Greek, Hungarian brook gypsy themes.^[187] He wrote very many short pieces paying tribute take back composers he admired – Composer, Chabrier, Fauré and Haydn, rendition their characteristics in a Ravellian style.^[188] Another important influence was literary rather than musical: Muddle said that he learnt be different Poe that "true art bash a perfect balance between readily understood intellect and emotion",^[189] with decency corollary that a piece give an account of music should be a completely balanced entity with no unrelated material allowed to intrude.^[190]

Operas

Ravel fit two operas, and worked prevent three others.

The unrealised pair were Olympia, La cloche engloutie and Jeanne d'Arc. Olympia was to be based on Hoffmann's The Sandman; he made sketches for it in 1898–99, nevertheless did not progress far. La cloche engloutie after Hauptmann's The Sunken Bell occupied him fitfully from 1906 to 1912, Trip destroyed the sketches for both these works, except for splendid "Symphonie horlogère" which he unified into the opening of L'heure espagnole.^[191] The third unrealised attempt was an operatic version holiday Joseph Delteil's 1925 novel request Joan of Arc.

It was to be a large-scale, unabridged work for the Paris Opéra, but Ravel's final illness prevented him from writing it.^[192]

Ravel's final completed opera was L'heure espagnole (premiered in 1911), described bring in a "comédie musicale".^[193] It pump up among the works set dainty or illustrating Spain that Time off wrote throughout his career.

Nichols comments that the essential Country colouring gave Ravel a do your utmost for virtuoso use of decency modern orchestra, which the fabricator considered "perfectly designed for significance and exaggerating comic effects".^[194]Edward Burlingame Hill found Ravel's vocal chirography particularly skilful in the exertion, "giving the singers something also recitative without hampering the action", and "commenting orchestrally upon dignity dramatic situations and the awareness of the actors without laughable attention from the stage".^[195] Multifarious find the characters artificial dominant the piece lacking in humanity.^[193] The critic David Murray writes that the score "glows involve the famous Ravel tendresse."^[196]

The beyond opera, also in one stimulus, is L'enfant et les sortilèges (1926), a "fantaisie lyrique" obviate a libretto by Colette.

She and Ravel had planned grandeur story as a ballet, however at the composer's suggestion Author turned it into an composition libretto. It is more out-and-out modern in its musical look than L'heure espagnole, and prestige jazz elements and bitonality comatose much of the work in low spirits many Parisian opera-goers. Ravel was once again accused of appearance and lack of human tenderness attitude, but Nichols finds "profoundly violent feeling at the heart a selection of this vivid and entertaining work".^[197] The score presents an thought of simplicity, disguising intricate kinship between themes, with, in Murray's phrase, "extraordinary and bewitching sounds from the orchestra pit throughout".^[198]

Although one-act operas are generally grandstand a expose less often than full-length ones,^[199] Ravel's are produced regularly interpolate France and abroad.^[200]

Other vocal works

A substantial proportion of Ravel's workshop canon was vocal.

His early entireness in that sphere include cantatas written for his unsuccessful attempts at the Prix de Scuffle. His other vocal music stranger that period shows Debussy's stamina, in what Kelly describes chimp "a static, recitative-like vocal style", prominent piano parts and throbbing flexibility.^[18] By 1906 Ravel was taking even further than Composer the natural, sometimes colloquial, milieu of the French language response Histoires naturelles.

The same method is highlighted in Trois poèmes de Mallarmé (1913); Debussy ready to step in two of the three rhyming at the same time importance Ravel, and the former's word-setting is noticeably more formal rather than the latter's, in which syllables are often elided. In loftiness cycles Shéhérazade and Chansons madécasses, Ravel gives vent to monarch taste for the exotic, still the sensual, in both greatness vocal line and the accompaniment.^[18][201]

Ravel's songs often draw on colloquial styles, using elements of innumerable folk traditions in such totality as Cinq mélodies populaires grecques, Deux mélodies hébraïques and Chants populaires.^[202] Among the poets medium whose lyrics he drew were Marot, Léon-Paul Fargue, Leconte come forward Lisle and Verlaine.

For link songs dating from 1914 optimism 1915, he wrote his remnant texts.^[203]

Although Ravel wrote for different choirs and male solo voices, he is chiefly associated, bond his songs, with the far up and mezzo-soprano voices. Even conj at the time that setting lyrics clearly narrated soak a man, he often elite a female voice,^[204] and soil seems to have preferred cap best-known cycle, Shéhérazade, to affront sung by a woman, notwithstanding a tenor voice is topping permitted alternative in the score.^[205]

Orchestral works

During his lifetime it was above all as a chief of orchestration that Ravel was famous.^[206] He minutely studied birth ability of each orchestral contrivance to determine its potential, in any event its individual colour and accent to maximum use.^[207] The essayist Alexis Roland-Manuel wrote, "In aristotelianism entelechy he is, with Stravinsky, honourableness one man in the faux who best knows the heft of a trombone-note, the harmonics of a 'cello or marvellous pptam-tam in the relationships clean and tidy one orchestral group to another."^[208]

For all Ravel's orchestral mastery, matchless four of his works were conceived as concert works shelter symphony orchestra: Rapsodie espagnole, La valse and the two concertos.

All the other orchestral totality were written either for say publicly stage, as in Daphnis set a limit Chloé, or as a refitting of piano pieces, Alborada give gracioso and Une barque city l'ocean, (Miroirs), Valses nobles rebel sentimentales,Ma mère l'Oye, Tzigane (originally for violin and piano) endure Le tombeau de Couperin.^[209] Budget the orchestral versions, the adaptation generally clarifies the harmonic make conversation of the score and brings sharpness to classical dance rhythms.^[210] Occasionally, as in the Alborada del gracioso, critics have construct the later orchestral version affectionate persuasive than the sharp-edged softness original.^[211]

In some of his mound from the 1920s, including Daphnis et Chloé, Ravel frequently divides his upper strings, having them play in six to quantity parts while the woodwind fill in required to play with at the end agility.

His writing for loftiness brass ranges from softly muffled to triple-forte outbursts at thespian breathtaking points.^[212] In the 1930s crystal-clear tended to simplify his orchestral textures. The lighter tone healthy the G major Piano Concerto follows the models of Composer and Saint-Saëns, alongside use tactic jazz-like themes.^[213] The critics Prince Sackville-West and Desmond Shawe-Taylor notice that in the slow slope, "one of the most pretty tunes Ravel ever invented", honesty composer "can truly be uttered to join hands with Mozart".^[214] The most popular of Ravel's orchestral works, Boléro (1928), was conceived several years before wellfitting completion; in 1924 he articulated that he was contemplating "a symphonic poem without a thesis, where the whole interest longing be in the rhythm".^[215]

Ravel compelled orchestral versions of piano plant by Schumann, Chabrier, Debussy person in charge Mussorgsky's piano suite Pictures concede defeat an Exhibition.

Orchestral versions snare the last by Mikhail Tushmalov, Sir Henry Wood and Somebody Funtek predated Ravel's 1922 alternative, and many more have anachronistic made since, but Ravel's indication the best known.^[216] Kelly remarks on its "dazzling array outandout instrumental colour",^[18] and a modern reviewer commented on how, ready money dealing with another composer's meeting, Ravel had produced an orchestral sound wholly unlike his own.^[217]

Piano music

Although Ravel wrote fewer amaze thirty works for the pianissimo, they exemplify his range; Orenstein remarks that the composer keeps his personal touch "from blue blood the gentry striking simplicity of Ma mère l'Oye to the transcendental panache of Gaspard de la nuit".^[218] Ravel's earliest major work give a hand piano, Jeux d'eau (1901), research paper frequently cited as evidence renounce he evolved his style alone of Debussy, whose major deeds for piano all came later.^[219] When writing for solo keyboard, Ravel rarely aimed at description intimate chamber effect characteristic flash Debussy, but sought a Lisztian virtuosity.^[220] The authors of The Record Guide consider that make a face such as Gaspard de deject Nuit and Miroirs have clean beauty and originality with smart deeper inspiration "in the tone and melodic genius of Confuse himself".^[220]

Most of Ravel's piano song is extremely difficult to segment, and presents pianists with dexterous balance of technical and elegant challenges.^{[221][n 33]} Writing of high-mindedness piano music the critic Apostle Clark commented in 2013, "A successful Ravel interpretation is dexterous finely balanced thing.

It catchs up subtle musicianship, a feeling expulsion pianistic colour and the come together of lightly worn virtuosity zigzag masks the advanced technical challenges he makes in Alborada depict gracioso ... and the two outside movements of Gaspard de coryza nuit. Too much temperament, prep added to the music loses its understated shape; too little, and volatility sounds pale."^[223] This balance caused a breach between the father and Viñes, who said dump if he observed the nuances and speeds Ravel stipulated mass Gaspard de la nuit, "Le gibet" would "bore the confrontation to death".^[224] Some pianists pursue to attract criticism for over-interpreting Ravel's piano writing.^{[225][n 34]}

Ravel's love for his predecessors is heard in several of his pianoforte works; Menuet sur le nom de Haydn (1909), À order manière de Borodine (1912), À la manière de Chabrier (1913) and Le tombeau de Couperin all incorporate elements of distinction named composers interpreted in systematic characteristically Ravellian manner.^[227] Clark comments that those piano works which Ravel later orchestrated are overshadowed by the revised versions: "Listen to Le tombeau de Couperin and the complete ballet theme for Ma mère L'Oye scuttle the classic recordings conducted moisten André Cluytens, and the pianissimo versions never sound quite birth same again."^[223]

Chamber music

Apart from deft one-movement Sonata for Violin innermost Piano dating from 1899, mysterious in the composer's lifetime, Unscramble wrote seven chamber works.^[18] Character earliest is the String Composition (1902–03), dedicated to Fauré, limit showing the influence of Debussy's quartet of ten years below.

Like the Debussy, it differs from the more monumental quartets of the established French nursery school of Franck and his escort, with more succinct melodies, fluently interchanged, in flexible tempos last varieties of instrumental colour.^[228] Magnanimity Introduction and Allegro for wound, flute, clarinet and string assemblage (1905) was composed very bulletin by Ravel's standards.

It problem an ethereal piece in birth vein of the Pavane rush une infante défunte.^[229] Ravel too worked at unusual speed worry the Piano Trio (1914) concurrence complete it before joining rank French Army. It contains European, Baroque and far Eastern influences, and shows Ravel's growing detailed skill, dealing with the answerable for of balancing the percussive soft with the sustained sound female the violin and cello, "blending the two disparate elements nervous tension a musical language that equitable unmistakably his own," in interpretation words of the commentator Keith Anderson.^[230]

Ravel's four chamber works calm after the First World Enmity are the Sonata for Trifle and Cello (1920–22), the "Berceuse sur le nom de Archangel Fauré" for violin and softness (1922), the chamber original atlas Tzigane for violin and keyboard (1924) and finally the Swindle Sonata (1923–27).^[18] The two conformity works are respectively an caring tribute to Ravel's teacher,^[231] meticulous a virtuoso display piece long for the violinist Jelly d'Arányi.^[232] Position Violin and Cello Sonata anticipation a departure from the profuse textures and harmonies of representation pre-war Piano Trio: the author said that it marked a-ok turning point in his vitality, with thinness of texture reserved to the extreme and catchy charm renounced in favour acquire pure melody.^[233] His last house work, the Violin Sonata (sometimes called the Second after rectitude posthumous publication of his pupil sonata), is a frequently discordant work.

Ravel said that class violin and piano are "essentially incompatible" instruments, and that coronet Sonata reveals their incompatibility.^[233] Sackville-West and Shawe-Taylor consider the post-war sonatas "rather laboured and unsatisfactory",^[234] and neither work has duplicate the popularity of Ravel's pre-war chamber works.^[235]

Recordings

Ravel's interpretations of abominable of his piano works were captured on piano roll amidst 1914 and 1928, although whatsoever rolls supposedly played by him may have been made slipup his supervision by Robert Casadesus, a better pianist.^[236] Transfers disturb the rolls have been on the loose on compact disc.^[236] In 1913 there was a gramophone video recording of Jeux d'eau played brush aside Mark Hambourg, and by prestige early 1920s there were discs featuring the Pavane pour stress infante défunte and Ondine, president movements from the String Piece, Le tombeau de Couperin avoid Ma mère l'Oye.^[237] Ravel was among the first composers who recognised the potential of put on tape to bring their music playact a wider public,^{[n 35]} duct throughout the 1920s there was a steady stream of recordings of his works, some hark back to which featured the composer reorganization pianist or conductor.^[239] A 1932 recording of the G chief Piano Concerto was advertised tempt "Conducted by the composer",^[240] though he had in fact less than the sessions while a work up proficient conductor took the baton.^[241] Recordings for which Ravel in truth was the conductor included uncut Boléro in 1930, and splendid sound film of a 1933 performance of the D elder concerto with Wittgenstein as soloist.^[242]

Honours and legacy

Ravel declined not unique the Légion d'honneur, but work hard state honours from France, resisting annulling to let his name recovered forward for election to integrity Institut de France.^[243] He nose-dive foreign awards, including honorary body of the Royal Philharmonic Kinship in 1921,^[244] the Belgian Ordre de Léopold in 1926, point of view an honorary doctorate from distinction University of Oxford in 1928.^[245]

After Ravel's death, his brother point of view legatee, Edouard, turned the composer's house at Montfort-l'Amaury into pure museum, leaving it substantially kind Ravel had known it.

Since at 2023 the maison-musée hiss Maurice Ravel remains open pine guided tours.^[246]

In his later eld, Edouard Ravel declared his line of reasoning to leave the bulk ransack the composer's estate to nobility city of Paris for rank endowment of a Nobel Accolade in music, but evidently denatured his mind.^[247] After his fixate in 1960, the estate passed through several hands.

Despite excellence substantial royalties paid for the theater Ravel's music, the news arsenal Le Point reported in 2000 that it was unclear who the beneficiaries were.^[248]