Ravel, was the son of a Basque mother and a Swiss father, but was quintessentially French in his elegant, stylish artistic imagination. He is clearly in the camp of those classicists who elegantly re-interpret the genres, forms, and musical syntax of the past. Only a cursory review of many of the titles of Ravel’s works will bear out his deep fascination and appreciation for the...
Daphnis and Chloe Suite No. 2
Ravel was the son of a Basque mother and a Swiss father, but he was quintessentially French in his elegant, stylish artistic imagination. He is clearly in the camp of those classicists who elegantly re-interpret the genres, forms, and musical syntax of the past. Only a cursory review of many of the titles of Ravel’s works will bear out his deep fascination and appreciation for...
La valse
Ravel in the popular imagination will probably always be associated with the other great French composer from around the turn of the last century, Debussy. Ravel, in fact, was the son of a Basque mother and a Swiss father, and this alone tells us much about the subtleties of his artistic imagination. Moreover, his compositions are quite different from those of Debussy, the icon...
Le tombeau de Couperin
Ravel and Debussy are often paired in music lovers’ minds, and they certainly were friends, admirers of their respective talents and musical works, and landmarks, not only of French musical culture, but the world, as well. But there the comparisons must end, for Ravel and his compositions constitute a unique body of work, not closely related to anyone. Late in his life...
Mother Goose Suite (Ma Mère l’Oye)
On the one hand, Ravel’s considerable talent and intellect could be satirical and probing—and somewhat ambiguous–as in La valse. On the other, his Mother Goose Suite will reveal yet another aspect of his penchant for reinterpretation of time-honored musical traditions. Ravel took pleasure in the companionship of animals and children, and enjoyed reading fairy tales to Mimi...
Rapsodie espagnole
Ravel and Debussy are often paired in music lovers’ minds, and they certainly were friends, admirers of their respective talents and musical works, and both emblematic of French musical culture. But there the comparisons must end, for Ravel’s compositions constitute a unique body of work, not closely related to anyone. Late in his life Ravel anguished that he had failed to...
Tzigane
Ravel is clearly in the camp of those classicists who adroitly re-interpret the genres, forms, and musical syntax of the past. Only a cursory review of many of the titles of Ravel’s works will bear out his deep fascination and appreciation for the musical past as a basis for imaginative, original contributions to a musical future. And yet, his music smacks not at all of the...