# Ravel - Fugues - do they exist?



## ivanbuto

Hi everyone,
I am trying to find sheet scores of Ravel fugues. According to the listing of compositiong at imslp.org (http://imslp.org/wiki/Sortable_list_of_works_by_Maurice_Ravel), he composed several fugues, of which the following should exist: M.23, M.24, M.27, M.32, M.36, M.44.
Would anyone have an idea where I could find these? Even Google is no help! No recordings, no available sheet music! Or do these pieces not exist?
Thanks,
Ivan


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## Philip

nvm that's not what you were looking for


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## PetrB

If they do exist, they would be student works, modal counterpoint at least (and perhaps 18th century counterpoint) being part of the course work when he studied composition with Gabriel Faure at the Paris Conservatoire, during 1898 and 1899. In those years, he did not win either the fugue or composition prize....

The one Fugue in his post-conservatory output is the second movement of the six which comprise the piano suite, "Le Tombeau de Couperin."


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## violadude

Ya, Fugues are kind of a German thing. The 20th century Frenchies weren't that into them being that they were perhaps the most reactionary group of the 20th century against the German style of music.


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## Ravndal

Debussy wrote a couple of fugues though


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## violadude

Ravndal said:


> Debussy wrote a couple of fugues though


Ya, but he also started out as a Wagner lover.


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## ivanbuto

PetrB said:


> If they do exist, they would be student works, modal counterpoint at least (and perhaps 18th century counterpoint) being part of the course work when he studied composition with Gabriel Faure at the Paris Conservatoire, during 1898 and 1899. In those years, he did not win either the fugue or composition prize....
> 
> The one Fugue in his post-conservatory output is the second movement of the six which comprise the piano suite, "Le Tombeau de Couperin."


Well, for example the Fugue categotized as M.44 is dated 1905. That would not be from his conservatory output anymore.
Does anyone has an idea where these works could be obtained?


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## aleazk

I searched on youtube and this two have appeared:

-Ravel - Fugue D-dur(1900):






-Ravel - Fugue F-dur（1901):


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## PetrB

aleazk said:


> I searched on youtube and this two have appeared:
> 
> -Ravel - Fugue D-dur(1900):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -Ravel - Fugue F-dur（1901):


No wonder people aren't beating a path to these. They sound utterly academic!


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## PetrB

If you want a later masterly bit of 'modal' contrapuntal writing from Ravel, listen to the final chorus from his opera "L'enfant et les sortileges" -- "Il et bon enfant" -- the ending of which includes the opera's opening introduction in counterpoint.

The chorus starts at 3'35''





the opera's opening introduction


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## Norse

Those early fugues are probably all part of his efforts to win the Prix de Rome (fugues were part of the competition), which he failed at five times, something that created somewhat of a scandal, and one of the conservatory directors had to resign.

Here's the sheet music for the one in F:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/42169322/Ravel-1901-Fugue-Prix-de-Rome


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