Maurice ravel biography timeline templates

French composer (1875–1937)

"Ravel" redirects round. For other uses, see Enlace (disambiguation).

Joseph Maurice Ravel^{[n 1]} (7 March 1875 – 28 Dec 1937) was a French father, pianist and conductor. He run through often associated with Impressionism vanguard with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers unwelcome the term.

In the Decennary and 1930s Ravel was internationally regarded as France's greatest years composer.

Born to a music-loving family, Ravel attended France's head music college, the Paris Conservatoire; he was not well rumoured by its conservative establishment, whose biased treatment of him caused a scandal. After leaving goodness conservatoire, Ravel found his specific way as a composer, processing a style of great silent and incorporating elements of modernness, baroque, neoclassicism and, in rulership later works, jazz.

He be a failure to experiment with musical variation, as in his best-known disused, Boléro (1928), in which rehearsal takes the place of circumstance. Renowned for his abilities play a role orchestration, Ravel made some orchestral arrangements of other composers' keyboard music, of which his 1922 version of Mussorgsky's Pictures certified an Exhibition is the preeminent known.

A slow and meticulous worker, Ravel composed fewer orts than many of his inception. Among his works to set down the repertoire are pieces rationalize piano, chamber music, two pianissimo concertos, ballet music, two operas and eight song cycles; subside wrote no symphonies or religion music. Many of his deeds exist in two versions: be in first place, a piano score and posterior an orchestration.

Some of authority piano music, such as Gaspard de la nuit (1908), assignment exceptionally difficult to play, highest his complex orchestral works specified as Daphnis et Chloé (1912) require skilful balance in reputation.

Ravel was among the have control over composers to recognise the imminent of recording to bring their music to a wider become public.

From the 1920s, despite wish technique as a pianist dim conductor, he took part make a purchase of recordings of several of her highness works; others were made entry his supervision.

Life and career

Early years

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

Circlet father, Pierre-Joseph Ravel, was comprise educated and successful engineer, generator 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 his status – Marie was illegitimate and barely literate – but the marriage was a- happy one.^[7] Some of Joseph's inventions were successful, including expansive early internal combustion engine snowball a notorious circus machine, picture "Whirlwind of Death", an self-propelling loop-the-loop that was a higher ranking attraction until a fatal misfortune at Barnum and Bailey's Circuit in 1903.^[8]

Both Ravel's parents were Roman Catholics; Marie was likewise something of a free-thinker, nifty trait inherited by her respected son.^[9] He was baptised include the Ciboure parish church sestet days after he was hatched.

The family moved to Town three months later, and beside a younger son, Édouard, was born. (He was close regarding his father, whom he at last followed into the engineering profession.)^[10] Maurice was particularly devoted wide their mother; her Basque-Spanish 1 was a strong influence review his life and music.^[11] Between his earliest memories were fixed songs she sang to him.^[10] The household was not wealthy, but the family was tranquil, and the two boys challenging happy childhoods.^[12]

Ravel senior delighted slot in taking his sons to factories to see the latest machinedriven devices, but he also difficult a keen interest in opus and culture in general.^[13] Detect later life, Ravel recalled, "Throughout my childhood I was in accord to music.

My father, unwarranted better educated in this secede than most amateurs are, knew how to develop my flash and to stimulate my verve at an early age."^[14] With reference to is no record that Disentangle received any formal general discipline in his early years; diadem biographer Roger Nichols suggests drift the boy may have archaic chiefly educated by his father.^[15]

When he was seven, Ravel in operation 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, shipshape and bristol fashion pupil of Léo Delibes.^[15] Outdoors being anything of a babe prodigy, he was a extraordinarily musical boy.^[16] Charles-René found delay Ravel's conception of music was natural to him "and call for, as in the case pointer so many others, the realize of effort".^[17] Ravel's earliest in-depth compositions date from this period: variations on a chorale from end to end of Schumann, variations on a peak by Grieg and a one and only movement of a piano sonata.^[18] They survive only in partially form.^[19]

In 1888 Ravel met grandeur young pianist Ricardo Viñes, who became not only a enduring friend, but also one near the foremost interpreters of her highness works, and an important yoke between Ravel and Spanish music.^[20] The two shared an thankfulness of Wagner, Russian music, abide the writings of Poe, Poet and Mallarmé.^[21] At the Display Universelle in Paris in 1889, Ravel was much struck by virtue of the new Russian works conducted by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.^[22] This euphony had a lasting effect gauge both Ravel and his senior contemporary Claude Debussy, as outspoken the exotic sound of probity Javanese gamelan, also heard through the Exposition.^[18]

Émile Decombes took aid as Ravel's piano teacher delete 1889; in the same harvest Ravel gave his earliest tell performance.^[23] Aged fourteen, he took part in a concert officer the Salle Érard along interchange other pupils of Decombes, inclusive of Reynaldo Hahn and Alfred Cortot.^[24]

Paris Conservatoire

With the encouragement of coronet parents, Ravel applied for entrance to France's most important lilting college, the Conservatoire de Town.

In November 1889, playing tune euphony by Chopin, he passed position examination for admission to nobility preparatory piano class run outdo Eugène Anthiome.^[25] Ravel won authority first prize in the Conservatoire's piano competition in 1891, however otherwise he did not bear out as a student.^[26] But, these years were a gaining of considerable advance in consummate development as a composer.

Goodness musicologist Arbie Orenstein writes lose one\'s train of thought for Ravel the 1890s were a period "of immense growth ... from adolescence to maturity".^[27]

In 1891 Ravel progressed to the guide of Charles-Wilfrid de Bériot, desire piano, and Émile Pessard, take possession of harmony.^[23] He made solid, unspectacular progress, with particular encouragement pass up Bériot but, in the articulate of the musicologist Barbara Kudos.

Kelly, he "was only biddable on his own terms".^[28] Her highness later teacher Gabriel Fauré unattractive this, but it was need generally acceptable to the rightist faculty of the Conservatoire find the 1890s.^[28] Ravel was expelled in 1895, having won maladroit thumbs down d more prizes.^{[n 3]} His earlier works to survive in brim-full are from these student days: Sérénade grotesque, for piano, president "Ballade de la Reine morte d'aimer",^{[n 4]} a mélodie lasting a poem by Roland come into sight Marès (both 1893).^[18]

Ravel was not in any way so assiduous a student line of attack the piano as his colleagues such as Viñes and Cortot were.^{[n 5]} It was victim that as a pianist recognized would never match them, additional his overriding ambition was make it to be a composer.^[26] From that point he concentrated on essay.

His works from the age include the songs "Un de luxe sommeil noir" and "D'Anne jouant de l'espinette" to words mass Paul Verlaine and Clément Marot,^{[18][n 6]} and the piano fluster Menuet antique and Habanera (for four hands), the latter one of these days incorporated into the Rapsodie espagnole.^[31] At around this time, Carpenter Ravel introduced his son pact Erik Satie, who was itch a living as a café pianist.

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

In 1897 Ravel was readmitted to the Conservatoire, studying essay with Fauré, and taking concealed lessons in counterpoint with André Gedalge.^[23] Both these teachers, especially Fauré, regarded him highly flourishing were key influences on coronate development as a composer.^[18] Gorilla Ravel's course progressed, Fauré widespread "a distinct gain in maturity ...

engaging wealth of imagination".^[34] Ravel's standing at the Conservatoire was nevertheless undermined by the animus 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] Sharp-tasting wrote some substantial works onetime studying with Fauré, including honesty overture Shéhérazade and a celibate movement violin sonata, but explicit won no prizes, and so was expelled again in 1900.

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

In May 1897 Mess conducted the first performance take up the Shéhérazade overture, which difficult to understand a mixed reception, with boos mingling with applause from blue blood the gentry audience, and unflattering reviews running off the critics.

One described authority piece as "a jolting debut: a clumsy plagiarism of primacy Russian School" and called Holiday a "mediocrely gifted debutant ... who will perhaps become something hypothesize not someone in about put out years, if he works hard".^{[38][n 7]} Another critic, Pierre Lalo, thought that Ravel showed ability, but was too indebted hide Debussy and should instead duplicate Beethoven.^[40] Over the succeeding decades Lalo became Ravel's most full of spleen critic.^[40] In 1899 Ravel steady his first piece to grasp widely known, though it indebted little impact initially: Pavane gush une infante défunte ("Pavane hold a dead princess").^[41] It was originally a solo piano pierce, commissioned by the Princesse pointer Polignac.^{[42][n 8]}

From the start be totally convinced by his career, Ravel appeared undemanding indifferent to blame or consecrate.

Those who knew him toss believed that this was thumb pose but wholly genuine.^[43] Primacy only opinion of his strain that he truly valued was his own, perfectionist and harshly self-critical.^[44] At twenty years curst age he was, in dignity words of the biographer Author James, "self-possessed, a little pompous, intellectually biased, given to inoffensive banter".^[45] He dressed like spick dandy and was meticulous look at his appearance and demeanour.^[46] Orenstein comments that, short in stature,^{[n 9]} light in frame very last bony in features, Ravel confidential the "appearance of a spiffy jockey", whose large head seemed suitably matched to his harrowing intellect.^[47] During the late Decennium and into the early lifetime of the next century, Vacation was bearded in the trend of the day; from potentate mid-thirties he was clean-shaven.^[48]

Les Apaches and Debussy

Around 1900 Ravel near a number of innovative juvenile artists, poets, critics and musicians joined together in an unstilted group; they came to befit known as Les Apaches ("The Hooligans"), a name coined harsh Viñes to represent their standing as "artistic outcasts".^[49] They tumble regularly until the beginning appeal to the First World War, queue members stimulated one another grow smaller intellectual argument and performances conclusion their works.

The membership appreciate the group was fluid, prosperous at various times included Dilution Stravinsky and Manuel de Pianist as well as their Gallic friends.^{[n 10]}

Among the enthusiasms in this area the Apaches was the penalisation of Debussy. Ravel, twelve time eon his junior, had known Composer slightly since the 1890s, become calm their friendship, though never wrap up, continued for more than decayed years.^[51] In 1902 André Messager conducted the premiere of Debussy's operaPelléas et Mélisande at rendering Opéra-Comique.

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

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

Many music lovers began drop a line to apply the same term get tangled Ravel, and the works addict the two composers were much taken as part of exceptional single genre.^[55] Ravel thought focus Debussy was indeed an Copier but that he himself was not.^{[56][n 11]} Orenstein comments digress Debussy was more spontaneous soar casual in his composing deeprooted Ravel was more attentive expect form and craftsmanship.^[58] Ravel wrote that Debussy's "genius was undeniably one of great individuality, creating its own laws, constantly contain evolution, expressing itself freely, hitherto always faithful to French custom.

For Debussy, the musician accept the man, I have difficult to understand profound admiration, but by hue I am different from Debussy ... I think I have each time personally followed a direction indisposed to that of [his] symbolism."^[59] During the first years be unable to find the new century Ravel's fresh works included the piano pursuit Jeux d'eau^{[n 12]} (1901), nobleness String Quartet and the orchestral song cycle Shéhérazade (both 1903).^[60] Commentators have noted some Debussian touches in some parts detect these works.

Nichols calls description quartet "at once homage attain and exorcism of Debussy's influence".^[61]

The two composers ceased to carbon copy on friendly terms in justness middle of the first dec of the 1900s, for harmonious and possibly personal reasons. Their admirers began to form factions, with adherents of one framer denigrating the other.

Disputes arose about the chronology of ethics composers' works and who hollow whom.^[51] Prominent in the anti-Ravel camp was Lalo, who wrote, "Where M. Debussy is numerous sensitivity, M. Ravel is entire insensitivity, borrowing without hesitation jumble only technique but the supersensitivity of other people."^[62] The indicator tension led to personal estrangement.^[62] Ravel said, "It's probably pick up for us, after all, activate be on frigid terms cargo space illogical reasons."^[63] Nichols suggests ending additional reason for the break.

In 1904 Debussy left surmount wife and went to hold out with the singer Emma Bardac. Ravel, together with his level friend and confidante Misia Theologizer and the opera star Lucienne Bréval, contributed to a unaffected regular income for the unsettled Lilly Debussy, a fact saunter Nichols suggests may have rankled with her husband.^[64]

Scandal and success

During the first years of position new century Ravel made cinque attempts to win France's chief prestigious prize for young composers, the Prix de Rome, foregoing winners of which included Composer, Gounod, Bizet, Massenet and Debussy.^[65] In 1900 Ravel was out of the running in the first round; interject 1901 he won the next prize for the competition.^[66] Pointed 1902 and 1903 he won nothing: according to the musicologist Paul Landormy, the judges involved Ravel of making fun in this area them by submitting cantatas straight-faced academic as to seem with regards to parodies.^{[60][n 13]} In 1905 Confuse, by now thirty, competed misunderstand the last time, inadvertently instigating a furore.

He was disqualified in the first round, which even critics unsympathetic to surmount music, including Lalo, denounced thanks to unjustifiable.^[68] The press's indignation grew when it emerged that birth senior professor at the Conservatory, Charles Lenepveu, was on picture jury, and only his set were selected for the last round;^[69] his insistence that that was pure coincidence was clump well received.^[70]L'affaire Ravel became wonderful national scandal, leading to rectitude early retirement of Dubois fairy story his replacement by Fauré, cut out for by the government to declare out a radical reorganisation be successful the Conservatoire.^[71]

Among those taking straight close interest in the interrogation was Alfred Edwards, owner ride editor of Le Matin, be intended for which Lalo wrote.

Edwards was married to Ravel's friend Misia;^{[n 14]} the couple took Unsnarl on a seven-week Rhine peregrinate on their yacht in June and July 1905, the extreme time he had travelled abroad.^[73]

By the latter part of interpretation 1900s Ravel had established fastidious pattern of writing works make up for piano and subsequently arranging them for full orchestra.^[74] He was in general a slow survive painstaking worker, and reworking king earlier piano compositions enabled him to increase the number beat somebody to it pieces published and performed.^[75] Down appears to have been rebuff mercenary motive for this; Vacation was known for his insouciance to financial matters.^[76] The start that began as piano compositions and were then given orchestral dress were Pavane pour disorder infante défunte (orchestrated 1910), Une barque sur l'océan (1906, unearth the 1905 piano suite Miroirs), the Habanera section of Rapsodie espagnole (1907–08), Ma mère l'Oye (1908–10, orchestrated 1911), Valses patricians 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 inclination marvellous teacher, but he gave charge order to a few young musicians he felt could benefit bring forth them.

Manuel Rosenthal was put the finishing touches to, and records that Ravel was a very demanding teacher in the way that he thought his pupil locked away talent. Like his own professor, Fauré, he was concerned go wool-gathering his pupils should find their own individual voices and need be excessively influenced by forward masters.^[77] He warned Rosenthal roam it was impossible to instruct from studying Debussy's music: "Only Debussy could have written approve and made it sound materialize only Debussy can sound."^[78] In the way that George Gershwin asked him storage lessons in the 1920s, Enlace, after serious consideration, refused, cluster the grounds that they "would probably cause him to compose bad Ravel and lose sovereignty great gift of melody station spontaneity".^{[79][n 15]} The best-known creator who studied with Ravel was probably Ralph Vaughan Williams, who was his pupil for couple months in 1907–08.^{[n 16]} Vocaliser Williams recalled that Ravel helped him escape from "the portly contrapuntal Teutonic manner ...

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

Vaughan Williams's recollections throw some radiate on Ravel's private life, memo which the latter's reserved tell secretive personality has led watchdog much speculation. Vaughan Williams, Rosenthal and Marguerite Long have repeated recorded that Ravel frequented brothels;^[86] Long attributed this to coronate self-consciousness about his diminutive size, and consequent lack of collateral with women.^[76] By other finance, none of them first-hand, Unsnarl was in love with Misia Edwards,^[72] or wanted to get hitched the violinist Hélène Jourdan-Morhange.^[87] Rosenthal records and discounts contemporary guess that Ravel, a lifelong virginal, may have been homosexual.^[88] Much speculation recurred in a 2000 life of Ravel by Patriarch Ivry;^[89] subsequent studies have closed that Ravel's sexuality and true life remain a mystery.^[90]

Ravel's twig concert outside France was funny story 1909.

As the guest time off the Vaughan Williamses, he visited London, where he played provision the Société des Concerts Français, gaining favourable reviews and flattering his growing international reputation.^{[91][n 17]}

1910 to First World War

The Société Nationale de Musique, founded feature 1871 to promote the concerto of rising French composers, esoteric been dominated since the mid-1880s by a conservative faction heavy by Vincent d'Indy.^[93] Ravel, dispose with several other former period of Fauré, set up clean up new, modernist organisation, the Société Musicale Indépendente, with Fauré in the same way its president.^{[n 18]} The additional society's inaugural concert took lodge on 20 April 1910; loftiness seven items on the routine included premieres of Fauré's at a bargain price a fuss cycle La chanson d'Ève, Debussy's piano suite D'un cahier d'esquisses, Zoltán Kodály's Six pièces evacuate piano and the original softness duet version of Ravel's Ma mère l'Oye.

The performers aim Fauré, Florent Schmitt, Ernest Composer, Pierre Monteux and, in rank Debussy work, Ravel.^[95] Kelly considers it a sign of Ravel's new influence that the group of people featured Satie's music in neat as a pin concert in January 1911.^[18]

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

Prestige work had been completed delight 1907, but the manager wink the Opéra-Comique, Albert Carré, generally deferred its presentation. He was concerned that its plot – a bedroom farce – would be badly received by goodness ultra-respectable mothers and daughters who were an important part carry-on the Opéra-Comique's audience.^[96] The component was only modestly successful adventure its first production, and something to do was not until the Decennium that it became popular.^[97]

In 1912 Ravel had three ballets premiered.

The first, to the orchestrated and expanded version of Ma mère l'Oye, opened at interpretation Théâtre des Arts in January.^[98] The reviews were excellent: character Mercure de France called rendering score "absolutely ravishing, a chef-d`oeuvre in miniature".^[99] The music swiftly entered the concert repertoire; replete was played at the Queen's Hall, London, within weeks drug the Paris premiere, and was repeated at the Proms following in the same year.

The Times praised "the enchantment staff the work ... the effect introduce mirage, by which something entirely real seems to float state nothing".^[100] New York audiences heard the work in the costume year.^[101] Ravel's second ballet deserve 1912 was Adélaïde ou absolute langage des fleurs, danced come into contact with the score of Valses high society et sentimentales, which opened to hand the Châtelet in April.

Daphnis et Chloé opened at honourableness same theatre in June. That was his largest-scale orchestral labour, and took him immense smart and several years to complete.^[102]

Daphnis et Chloé was commissioned uncover or about 1909 by character impresario Sergei Diaghilev for reward company, the Ballets Russes.^{[n 20]} Ravel began work with Diaghilev's choreographer, Michel Fokine, and architect, Léon Bakst.^[104] Fokine had on the rocks reputation for his modern shape to dance, with individual drawing replaced by continuous music.

That appealed to Ravel, and care for discussing the action in unreserved detail with Fokine, Ravel began composing the music.^[105] There were frequent disagreements between the collaborators, and the premiere was under-rehearsed because of the late attainment of the work.^[106] It abstruse an unenthusiastic reception and was quickly withdrawn, although it was revived successfully a year following in Monte Carlo and London.^[107] The effort to complete integrity ballet took its toll take into account Ravel's health;^{[n 21]}neurasthenia obliged him to rest for several months after the premiere.^[109]

Ravel composed tiny during 1913.

He collaborated look after Stravinsky on a performing alternative of Mussorgsky's unfinished opera Khovanshchina, and his own works were the Trois poèmes de Mallarmé for soprano and chamber rigout, and two short piano throw somebody into disarray, À la manière de Borodine and À la manière at ease Chabrier.^[23] In 1913, together add together Debussy, Ravel was among justness musicians present at the clothing rehearsal of The Rite invoke Spring.^[110] Stravinsky later said renounce Ravel was the only in my opinion who immediately understood the music.^[111] Ravel predicted that the debut of the Rite would get into seen as an event chuck out historic importance equal to stray of Pelléas et Mélisande.^{[112][n 22]}

War

When Germany invaded France in 1914 Ravel tried to join honourableness French Air Force.

He reputed his small stature and produce a result weight ideal for an pilot, but was rejected because constantly his age and a miniature heart complaint.^[114] While waiting give a warning be enlisted, Ravel composed Trois Chansons, his only work superfluous a cappella choir, setting empress own texts in the rite of French 16th-century chansons.

Recognized dedicated the three songs figure up people who might help him to enlist.^[115] After several failed attempts to enlist, Ravel lastly joined the Thirteenth Artillery Regulate as a lorry driver cloudless March 1915, when he was forty.^[116] Stravinsky expressed admiration be aware his friend's courage: "at dominion age and with his nickname he could have had expansive easier place, or done nothing".^[117] Some of Ravel's duties draft him in mortal danger, drive munitions at night under massy German bombardment.

At the aforementioned time his peace of require was undermined by his mother's failing health. His own insect also deteriorated; he suffered use insomnia and digestive problems, underwent a bowel operation following amoebous dysentery in September 1916, keep from had frostbite in his limits the following winter.^[118]

During the combat the Ligue Nationale pour coldness Defense de la Musique Française was formed by Saint-Saëns, Dubois, d'Indy and others, campaigning hand over a ban on the bringing off of contemporary German music.^[119] Holiday declined to join, telling loftiness committee of the league unimportant person 1916, "It would be damaging for French composers to pass over systematically the productions of their foreign colleagues, and thus flat themselves into a sort show signs national coterie: our musical vivacious, which is so rich advocate the present time, would in a little while degenerate, becoming isolated in commonplace formulas."^[120] The league responded unwelcoming banning Ravel's music from dismay concerts.^[121]

Ravel's mother died in Jan 1917, and he fell link a "horrible despair", compounding authority distress he felt at probity suffering endured by the descendants of his country during primacy war.^[122] He composed few scrunch up in the war years.

Distinction Piano Trio was almost exact when the conflict began, unthinkable the most substantial of fillet wartime works is Le tombeau de Couperin, composed between 1914 and 1917. The suite celebrates the tradition of François Composer, the 18th-century French composer; stretch movement is dedicated to precise friend of Ravel's who deadly in the war.^[123]

1920s

After the contest, those close to Ravel recognized that he had lost overmuch of his physical and analytical stamina.

As the musicologist Writer Zank puts it, "Ravel's passionate equilibrium, so hard won call in the previous decade, had archaic seriously compromised."^[124] His output, on no occasion large, became smaller.^[124] Nonetheless, stern the death of Debussy mould 1918, he was generally strange, in France and abroad, bit the leading French composer reveal the era.^[125] Fauré wrote within spitting distance him, "I am happier go one better than you can imagine about prestige solid position which you overrun and which you have erred so brilliantly and so hastily.

It is a source warrant joy and pride for your old professor."^[125] Ravel was offered the Legion of Honour leisure pursuit 1920,^{[n 23]} and although explicit declined the decoration, he was viewed by the new day of composers typified by Satie's protégés Les Six as brush establishment figure. Satie had offensive against him, and commented, "Ravel refuses the Légion d'honneur, nevertheless all his music accepts it."^{[128][n 24]} Despite this attack, Intertwine continued to admire Satie's anciently music, and always acknowledged prestige older man's influence on dominion own development.^[56] Ravel took excellent benign view of Les Scandalize, promoting their music, and watch over it against journalistic attacks.

Take steps regarded their reaction against rule works as natural, and preferred to their copying his style.^[132] Through the Société Musicale Indépendente, he was able to body them and composers from goad countries. The Société presented concerts of recent works by Land composers including Aaron Copland, Poet Thomson and George Antheil increase in intensity by Vaughan Williams and coronate English colleagues Arnold Bax instruction Cyril Scott.^[133]

Orenstein and Zank both comment that, although Ravel's post-war output was small, averaging inimitable one composition a year, time-honoured included some of his masterly works.^[134] In 1920 he ready La valse, in response run into a commission from Diaghilev.

Earth had worked on it little by little for some years, planning out concert piece, "a sort clone apotheosis of the Viennese dance, mingled with, in my intellect, the impression of a astounding, fatal whirling".^[135] It was undesirable by Diaghilev, who said, "It's a masterpiece, but it's distant a ballet.

It's the rendering of a ballet."^[136] Ravel heard Diaghilev's verdict without protest crestfallen argument, left, and had cack-handed further dealings with him.^{[137][n 25]} Nichols comments that Ravel difficult the satisfaction of seeing interpretation ballet staged twice by mocker managements before Diaghilev died.^[140] Uncut ballet danced to the orchestral version of Le tombeau reserve Couperin was given at position Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Nov 1920, and the premiere longawaited La valse followed in December.^[141] The following year Daphnis converge Chloé and L'heure espagnole were successfully revived at the Town Opéra.^[141]

In the post-war era almost was a reaction against illustriousness large-scale music of composers much as Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss.^[142] Stravinsky, whose Rite discover Spring was written for natty huge orchestra, began to disused on a much smaller excellent.

His 1923 ballet score Les noces is composed for voices and twenty-one instruments.^[143] Ravel exact not like the work (his opinion caused a cooling change for the better Stravinsky's friendship with him)^[144] however he was in sympathy be introduced to the fashion for "dépouillement" – the "stripping away" of pre-war extravagance to reveal the essentials.^[132] Many of his works escape the 1920s are noticeably sparer in texture than earlier pieces.^[145] Other influences on him focal this period were jazz essential atonality.

Jazz was popular wealthy Parisian cafés, and French composers such as Darius Milhaud incorporate elements of it in their work.^[146] Ravel commented that be active preferred jazz to grand opera,^[147] and its influence is heard in his later music.^[148]Arnold Schönberg's abandonment of conventional tonality likewise had echoes in some touch on Ravel's music such as excellence Chansons madécasses^{[n 26]} (1926), which Ravel doubted he could fake written without the example go along with Pierrot Lunaire.^[149] His other main works from the 1920s lean the orchestral arrangement of Mussorgsky's piano suite Pictures at devise Exhibition (1922), the opera L'enfant et les sortilèges^{[n 27]} rear a libretto by Colette (1926), Tzigane (1924) and the Spurious Sonata No.2 (1927).^[141]

Finding city living thing fatiguing, Ravel moved to glory countryside.^[150] In May 1921 grace took up residence at Not inevitable Belvédère, a small house put your name down the fringe of Montfort-l'Amaury, 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Town, in the Seine-et-Oisedépartement.

Looked aft by a devoted housekeeper, Trade show Revelot, he lived there pay money for the rest of his life.^[151] At Le Belvédère Ravel solidly and gardened, when not playacting in Paris or abroad. Top touring schedule increased considerably prosperous the 1920s, with concerts relish Britain, Sweden, Denmark, the Unconvinced, Canada, Spain, Austria and Italy.^[141]

After couple months of planning, Ravel vigorous a four-month tour of Polar America in 1928, playing build up conducting. His fee was exceptional guaranteed minimum of $10,000 scold a constant supply of Gauloises cigarettes.^[153] He appeared with ultimate of the leading orchestras coach in Canada and the US sports ground visited twenty-five cities.^[154] Audiences were enthusiastic and the critics were complimentary.^{[n 28]} At an all-Ravel programme conducted by Serge Conductor in New York, the broad audience stood up and applauded as the composer took king seat.

Ravel was touched near this spontaneous gesture and experiential, "You know, this doesn't earn to me in Paris."^[152] Orenstein, commenting that this tour effectual the zenith of Ravel's worldwide reputation, lists its non-musical highlights as a visit to Poe's house in New York, champion excursions to Niagara Falls submit the Grand Canyon.^[152] Ravel was unmoved by his new ecumenical celebrity.

He commented that dignity critics' recent enthusiasm was presentation no more importance than their earlier judgment, when they christened him "the most perfect model of insensitivity and lack thoroughgoing emotion".^[156]

The last composition Ravel undamaged in the 1920s, Boléro, became his most famous.

He was commissioned to provide a feature for Ida Rubinstein's ballet cast list, and having been unable in close proximity to secure the rights to organize Albéniz's Iberia, he decided enchant "an experiment in a development special and limited direction ... regular piece lasting seventeen minutes obscure consisting wholly of orchestral chain without music".^[157] Ravel continued cruise the work was "one far ahead, very gradual crescendo.

There hold no contrasts, and there disintegration practically no invention except leadership plan and the manner be successful the execution. The themes idea altogether impersonal."^[157] He was astonied, and not wholly pleased, focus it became a mass ensue. When one elderly member take in the audience at the Opéra shouted "Rubbish!" at the opening night, he remarked, "That old mohammedan got the message!"^[158] The take pains was popularised by the governor Arturo Toscanini,^[159] and has antiquated recorded several hundred times.^{[n 29]} Ravel commented to Arthur Composer, one of Les Six, "I've written only one masterpiece – Boléro.

Unfortunately there's no tune euphony in it."^[161]

Last years

At the origin of the 1930s Ravel was working on two piano concertos. He completed the Piano Concerto in D major for say publicly Left Hand first. It was commissioned by the Austrian player Paul Wittgenstein, who had vanished his right arm during blue blood the gentry First World War.

Ravel was stimulated by the technical challenges of the project: "In nifty work of this kind, vehicle is essential to give decency impression of a texture pollex all thumbs butte thinner than that of keen part written for both hands."^[162] Ravel, not proficient enough add up to perform the work with lone his left hand, demonstrated niggardly with both hands.^{[n 30]} Philosopher was initially disappointed by high-mindedness piece, but after long interpret he became fascinated by repress and ranked it as trim great work.^[164] In January 1932 he premiered it in Vienna to instant acclaim, and full it in Paris with Unsnarl conducting the following year.^[165] Distinction critic Henry Prunières wrote, "From the opening measures, we clear out plunged into a world remove which Ravel has but uncommonly introduced us."^[156]

The Piano Concerto breach G major was completed clean up year later.

After the first performance in January 1932 there was high praise for the balladeer, Marguerite Long, and for Ravel's score, though not for monarch conducting.^[166] Long, the dedicatee, swayed the concerto in more by twenty European cities, with ethics composer conducting;^[167] they planned industrial action record it together, but crash into the sessions Ravel confined child to supervising proceedings and Pedro de Freitas Branco conducted.^[168]

In October 1932 Confuse suffered a blow to picture head in a taxi shatter. The injury was not reflecting serious at the time, on the contrary in a study for primacy British Medical Journal in 1988 the neurologist R. A. Puppeteer concludes that it may hold exacerbated an existing cerebral condition.^[170] As early as 1927 tip friends had been concerned trouble Ravel's growing absent-mindedness, and confidential a year of the shunt he started to experience symptoms suggesting aphasia.^[171] Before the protrude he had begun work consumption music for a film, Don Quixote (1933), but he was unable to meet the producing schedule, and Jacques Ibert wrote most of the score.^[172] Twine completed three songs for barytone and orchestra intended for say publicly film; they were published significance Don Quichotte à Dulcinée.

Decency manuscript orchestral score is thwart Ravel's hand, but Lucien Garban and Manuel Rosenthal helped household transcription. Ravel composed no a cut above after this.^[170] The exact connect of his illness is mysterious. Experts have ruled out position possibility of a tumour, obscure have variously suggested frontotemporal disorder, Alzheimer's disease and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease.^{[173][n 31]} Though no longer overpowering to write music or spot, Ravel remained physically and socially active until his last months.

Henson notes that Ravel aged most or all his audition imagery and could still detect music in his head.^[170]

In 1937 Ravel began to suffer misery from his condition, and was examined by Clovis Vincent, unembellished well-known Paris neurosurgeon. Vincent be told surgical treatment. He thought precise tumour unlikely, and expected be relevant to find ventricular dilatation that healing might prevent from progressing.

Ravel's brother Edouard accepted this advice; as Henson comments, the constant was in no state chitchat express a considered view. Afterwards the operation there seemed tell somebody to be an improvement in surmount condition, but it was destructible, and he soon lapsed talk of a coma. He died exhume 28 December, at the whittle of 62.^[176]

On 30 December 1937 Ravel was interred next longing his parents in a secure tomb at Levallois-Perret cemetery, jammy north-west Paris.

He was entail atheist and there was maladroit thumbs down d religious ceremony.^[177]

Music

See also: List reproach compositions by Maurice Ravel

Marcel Marnat's catalogue of Ravel's complete factory lists eighty-five works, including various incomplete or abandoned.^[178] Though put off total is small in balance with the output of wreath major contemporaries,^{[n 32]} it run through nevertheless inflated by Ravel's everyday practice of writing works pay money for piano and later rewriting them as independent pieces for orchestra.^[75] The performable body of crease numbers about sixty; slightly restore than half are instrumental.

Ravel's music includes pieces for softness, chamber music, two piano concerti, ballet music, opera and express cycles. He wrote no symphonies or church works.^[178]

Ravel drew pinch many generations of French composers from Couperin and Rameau shape Fauré and the more new innovations of Satie and Composer.

Foreign influences include Mozart, Composer, Liszt and Chopin.^[180] He ostensible himself in many ways spruce up classicist, often using traditional structures and forms, such as dignity ternary, to present his recent melodic and rhythmic content title innovative harmonies.^[181] The influence atlas jazz on his later concerto is heard within conventional understated structures in the Piano Concerto and the Violin Sonata.^[182]

Ravel placed high importance classification melody, telling Vaughan Williams stray there is "an implied easy on the ear outline in all vital music".^[184] His themes are frequently normal, eschewing the familiar major boss around minor scales.^[185] Chords of say publicly ninth and eleventh and debatable appoggiaturas, such as those sheep the Valses nobles et sentimentales, are characteristic of Ravel's euphonious language.^[186]

Dance forms appealed to Disorder, most famously the bolero tolerate pavane, but also the minuet, forlane, rigaudon, waltz, czardas, habanera and passacaglia.

National and limited consciousness was important to him, and although a planned concerto on Basque themes never materialised, his works include allusions abrupt Hebraic, Greek, Hungarian and bohemian themes.^[187] He wrote several quick pieces paying tribute to composers he admired – Borodin, Chabrier, Fauré and Haydn, interpreting their characteristics in a Ravellian style.^[188] Another important influence was mythical rather than musical: Ravel put into words that he learnt from Writer that "true art is out perfect balance between pure gist and emotion",^[189] with the fellow that a piece of penalty should be a perfectly open-minded entity with no irrelevant constituents allowed to intrude.^[190]

Operas

Ravel completed join operas, and worked on duo others.

The unrealised three were Olympia, La cloche engloutie queue Jeanne d'Arc. Olympia was calculate be based on Hoffmann's The Sandman; he made sketches purport it in 1898–99, but plainspoken not progress far. La cloche engloutie after Hauptmann's The Drawn Bell occupied him intermittently stranger 1906 to 1912, Ravel dissipated the sketches for both these works, except for a "Symphonie horlogère" which he incorporated inspiration the opening of L'heure espagnole.^[191] The third unrealised project was an operatic version of Patriarch Delteil's 1925 novel about Joan of Arc.

It was motivate be a large-scale, full-length pointless for the Paris Opéra, however Ravel's final illness prevented him from writing it.^[192]

Ravel's first ripe opera was L'heure espagnole (premiered in 1911), described as far-out "comédie musicale".^[193] It is in the middle of the works set in slip illustrating Spain that Ravel wrote throughout his career.

Nichols comments that the essential Spanish colouring matter gave Ravel a reason dispense virtuoso use of the fresh orchestra, which the composer believed "perfectly designed for underlining endure exaggerating comic effects".^[194]Edward Burlingame Hillock found Ravel's vocal writing exclusively skilful in the work, "giving the singers something besides recitative without hampering the action", person in charge "commenting orchestrally upon the graphic situations and the sentiments bear witness the actors without diverting converge from the stage".^[195] Some spot the characters artificial and authority piece lacking in humanity.^[193] Description critic David Murray writes cruise the score "glows with leadership famous Ravel tendresse."^[196]

The second work, also in one act, go over the main points L'enfant et les sortilèges (1926), a "fantaisie lyrique" to natty libretto by Colette.

She extra Ravel had planned the account as a ballet, but finish even the composer's suggestion Colette dirty it into an opera enrol. It is more uncompromisingly additional in its musical style top L'heure espagnole, and the whistles elements and bitonality of wellknown of the work upset spend time at Parisian opera-goers. Ravel was flawlessly again accused of artificiality post lack of human emotion, however Nichols finds "profoundly serious throb at the heart of that vivid and entertaining work".^[197] Greatness score presents an impression indifference simplicity, disguising intricate links amidst themes, with, in Murray's expression, "extraordinary and bewitching sounds exotic the orchestra pit throughout".^[198]

Although one-act operas are generally staged cast out often than full-length ones,^[199] Ravel's are produced regularly in Author and abroad.^[200]

Other vocal works

A valuable proportion of Ravel's output was vocal.

His early works just the thing that sphere include cantatas bound for his unsuccessful attempts parallel with the ground the Prix de Rome. Circlet other vocal music from dump period shows Debussy's influence, tag what Kelly describes as "a static, recitative-like vocal style", unusual piano parts and rhythmic flexibility.^[18] By 1906 Ravel was charming even further than Debussy interpretation natural, sometimes colloquial, setting flawless the French language in Histoires naturelles.

The same technique evaluation highlighted in Trois poèmes get Mallarmé (1913); Debussy set three of the three poems claim the same time as Twine, and the former's word-setting in your right mind noticeably more formal than character latter's, in which syllables complete often elided. In the cycles Shéhérazade and Chansons madécasses, Weekend away gives vent to his hint for the exotic, even prestige sensual, in both the uttered line and the accompaniment.^[18][201]

Ravel's songs often draw on vernacular styles, using elements of many customary traditions in such works sort Cinq mélodies populaires grecques, Deux mélodies hébraïques and Chants populaires.^[202] Among the poets on whose lyrics he drew were Marot, Léon-Paul Fargue, Leconte de Lisle and Verlaine.

For three songs dating from 1914 to 1915, he wrote his own texts.^[203]

Although Ravel wrote for mixed choirs and male solo voices, take action is chiefly associated, in realm songs, with the soprano viewpoint mezzo-soprano voices. Even when surroundings lyrics clearly narrated by dexterous man, he often favoured a-one female voice,^[204] and he seems to have preferred his best-known cycle, Shéhérazade, to be speaking by a woman, although grand tenor voice is a liberated alternative in the score.^[205]

Orchestral works

During his lifetime it was test out all as a master bequest orchestration that Ravel was famous.^[206] He minutely studied the stipulate of each orchestral instrument harm determine its potential, putting cast down individual colour and timbre attain maximum use.^[207] The critic Alexis Roland-Manuel wrote, "In reality type is, with Stravinsky, the individual man in the world who best knows the weight consume a trombone-note, the harmonics representative a 'cello or a pptam-tam in the relationships of predispose orchestral group to another."^[208]

For go into battle Ravel's orchestral mastery, only quaternary of his works were planned as concert works for work orchestra: Rapsodie espagnole, La valse and the two concertos.

Be at war with the other orchestral works were written either for the take advantage of, as in Daphnis et Chloé, or as a reworking hold piano pieces, Alborada del gracioso and Une barque sur l'ocean, (Miroirs), Valses nobles et sentimentales,Ma mère l'Oye, Tzigane (originally support violin and piano) and Le tombeau de Couperin.^[209] In magnanimity orchestral versions, the instrumentation conventionally clarifies the harmonic language announcement the score and brings keenness to classical dance rhythms.^[210] Not often, as in the Alborada give gracioso, critics have found decency later orchestral version less likely than the sharp-edged piano original.^[211]

In some of his scores escape the 1920s, including Daphnis power point Chloé, Ravel frequently divides queen upper strings, having them part in six to eight gifts while the woodwind are mandatory to play with extreme legerity.

His writing for the demirep ranges from softly muted behold triple-forte outbursts at climactic points.^[212] In the 1930s he tended to simplify his orchestral textures. The lighter tone of ethics G major Piano Concerto gos next the models of Mozart be proof against Saint-Saëns, alongside use of jazz-like themes.^[213] The critics Edward Sackville-West and Desmond Shawe-Taylor comment guarantee in the slow movement, "one of the most beautiful tunes Ravel ever invented", the doer "can truly be said disrespect join hands with Mozart".^[214] Position most popular of Ravel's orchestral works, Boléro (1928), was planned several years before its completion; in 1924 he said ramble he was contemplating "a harmonious poem without a subject, site the whole interest will emerging in the rhythm".^[215]

Ravel made orchestral versions of piano works make wet Schumann, Chabrier, Debussy and Mussorgsky's piano suite Pictures at propose Exhibition.

Orchestral versions of rectitude last by Mikhail Tushmalov, Sir Henry Wood and Leo Funtek predated Ravel's 1922 version, be proof against many more have been notion since, but Ravel's remains primacy best known.^[216] Kelly remarks stoppage its "dazzling array of helpful colour",^[18] and a contemporary connoisseur commented on how, in conglomerate with another composer's music, Disentangle had produced an orchestral tone wholly unlike his own.^[217]

Piano music

Although Ravel wrote fewer than xxx works for the piano, they exemplify his range; Orenstein remarks that the composer keeps monarch personal touch "from the revered simplicity of Ma mère l'Oye to the transcendental virtuosity emblematic Gaspard de la nuit".^[218] Ravel's earliest major work for pianissimo, Jeux d'eau (1901), is oftentimes cited as evidence that significant evolved his style independently be totally convinced by Debussy, whose major works backing piano all came later.^[219] What because writing for solo piano, Jumble rarely aimed at the close chamber effect characteristic of Composer, but sought a Lisztian virtuosity.^[220] The authors of The Top secret Guide consider that works much as Gaspard de la Nuit and Miroirs have a belle and originality with a nautical below-decks inspiration "in the harmonic extract melodic genius of Ravel himself".^[220]

Most of Ravel's piano music abridge extremely difficult to play, bid presents pianists with a sad of technical and artistic challenges.^{[221][n 33]} Writing of the pianoforte music the critic Andrew Politician commented in 2013, "A design Ravel interpretation is a daintily balanced thing.

It involves dainty musicianship, a feeling for pianistic colour and the sort show lightly worn virtuosity that masks the advanced technical challenges fiasco makes in Alborada del gracioso ... and the two outer movements of Gaspard de la nuit. Too much temperament, and grandeur music loses its classical shape; too little, and it sounds pale."^[223] This balance caused grand breach between the composer significant Viñes, who said that on the assumption that he observed the nuances very last speeds Ravel stipulated in Gaspard de la nuit, "Le gibet" would "bore the audience make ill death".^[224] Some pianists continue acquaintance attract criticism for over-interpreting Ravel's piano writing.^{[225][n 34]}

Ravel's regard perform his predecessors is heard hard cash several of his piano works; Menuet sur le nom compassion Haydn (1909), À la manière de Borodine (1912), À ice manière de Chabrier (1913) lecture Le tombeau de Couperin integral incorporate elements of the known as composers interpreted in a characteristically Ravellian manner.^[227] Clark comments zigzag those piano works which Entwine later orchestrated are overshadowed soak the revised versions: "Listen prevent Le tombeau de Couperin become more intense the complete ballet music provision Ma mère L'Oye in nobleness classic recordings conducted by André Cluytens, and the piano versions never sound quite the much again."^[223]

Chamber music

Apart from a one-movement Sonata for Violin and Softly dating from 1899, unpublished scope the composer's lifetime, Ravel wrote seven chamber works.^[18] The primeval is the String Quartet (1902–03), dedicated to Fauré, and manifestation the influence of Debussy's gathering of ten years earlier.

Near the Debussy, it differs hold up the more monumental quartets remove the established French school give evidence Franck and his followers, glossed more succinct melodies, fluently mutual, in flexible tempos and varieties of instrumental colour.^[228] The Launching and Allegro for harp, hollow, clarinet and string quartet (1905) was composed very quickly unhelpful Ravel's standards.

It is necessitate ethereal piece in the blood-vessel of the Pavane pour disruption infante défunte.^[229] Ravel also specious at unusual speed on magnanimity Piano Trio (1914) to sweet it before joining the Country Army. It contains Basque, Bedecked and far Eastern influences, be first shows Ravel's growing technical expertness, dealing with the difficulties a choice of balancing the percussive piano counterpart the sustained sound of primacy violin and cello, "blending leadership two disparate elements in ingenious musical language that is exactly his own," in the justify of the commentator Keith Anderson.^[230]

Ravel's four chamber works composed puzzle out the First World War representative the Sonata for Violin move Cello (1920–22), the "Berceuse metropolis le nom de Gabriel Fauré" for violin and piano (1922), the chamber original of Tzigane for violin and piano (1924) and finally the Violin Sonata (1923–27).^[18] The two middle deeds are respectively an affectionate respect to Ravel's teacher,^[231] and straight virtuoso display piece for class violinist Jelly d'Arányi.^[232] The Phoney and Cello Sonata is clean up departure from the rich textures and harmonies of the pre-war Piano Trio: the composer held that it marked a unsettled point in his career, fit thinness of texture pushed maneuver the extreme and harmonic divergence renounced in favour of unadulterated melody.^[233] His last chamber enquiry, the Violin Sonata (sometimes christened the Second after the posthumous publication of his student sonata), is a frequently dissonant have an effect.

Ravel said that the cheat and piano are "essentially incompatible" instruments, and that his Sonata reveals their incompatibility.^[233] Sackville-West stream Shawe-Taylor consider the post-war sonatas "rather laboured and unsatisfactory",^[234] enjoin neither work has matched probity popularity of Ravel's pre-war foreboding works.^[235]

Recordings

Ravel's interpretations of some be expeditious for his piano works were captured on piano roll between 1914 and 1928, although some rolls supposedly played by him could have been made under circlet supervision by Robert Casadesus, marvellous better pianist.^[236] Transfers of description rolls have been released young adult compact disc.^[236] In 1913 approximately was a gramophone recording tension Jeux d'eau played by Dip Hambourg, and by the awkward 1920s there were discs featuring the Pavane pour une infante défunte and Ondine, and movements from the String Quartet, Le tombeau de Couperin and Ma mère l'Oye.^[237] Ravel was amidst the first composers who constituted the potential of recording capable bring their music to keen wider public,^{[n 35]} and from one place to another the 1920s there was a-okay steady stream of recordings aristocratic his works, some of which featured the composer as musician or conductor.^[239] A 1932 stick of the G major Pianoforte Concerto was advertised as "Conducted by the composer",^[240] although elegance had in fact supervised nobility sessions while a more skilful conductor took the baton.^[241] Recordings for which Ravel actually was the conductor included a Boléro in 1930, and a slope film of a 1933 musical of the D major concerto with Wittgenstein as soloist.^[242]

Honours see legacy

Ravel declined not only position Légion d'honneur, but all put down honours from France, refusing run let his name go story for election to the Institut de France.^[243] He accepted tramontane awards, including honorary membership refreshing the Royal Philharmonic Society rafter 1921,^[244] the Belgian Ordre well-off Léopold in 1926, and proscribe honorary doctorate from the Sanatorium of Oxford in 1928.^[245]

After Ravel's death, his brother and inheritor, Edouard, turned the composer's villa at Montfort-l'Amaury into a museum, leaving it substantially as Enlace had known it.

As follow 2023 the maison-musée de Maurice Ravel remains open for guided tours.^[246]

In his later years, Edouard Ravel declared his intention damage leave the bulk of rank composer's estate to the single-mindedness of Paris for the flair of a Nobel Prize advance music, but evidently changed top mind.^[247] After his death make 1960, the estate passed conquest several hands.

Despite the cool royalties paid for performing Ravel's music, the news magazine Le Point reported in 2000 roam it was unclear who grandeur beneficiaries were.^[248]