# Maurice Ravel



## Guest (Mar 27, 2013)

Please post your preferred works from this fabulous genius and say why you like the particular work. Goodness, there are so many from which to choose, but I'll start with one to get the ball rolling:

*Piano Trio in A Minor* - this is the 2nd movement (though my own preference in this work is for the sombre cry of the Andante 3rd movement). This movement shows the absolute balance which this master composer/orchestrator can achieve, with no one instrument taking centre stage. The shimmering effects, pizzicato and dazzling pace help make this luminous work one of the truly great works in the canon.






Glory be to God for the 20th Century!!!!!


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Love the trio, and the string Quartet and the Piano Concertos and the piano works, the Rhapsodie Espagnole, Daphins... I like the whole oeuvre! I even dig Bolero! 

I believe that Ravel is an important link in the French chain from Berlioz, Debussy and on to Messiaen!

/ptr


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## Guest (Mar 27, 2013)

I really dig the music of Messiaen - the piano and organ works, not so much "Taurangalela" (spelling!). Once you've heard Messiaen on an organ in a church it all makes perfect sense, since it is based on the acoustic properties of the cathedrals and the overtones which bounce all around the walls, right up to the vaulted ceilings (to God!).


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

CountenanceAnglaise said:


> I really dig the music of Messiaen..


Then there's at least two of us! 

I saw a doku about the la Sagara Familia Cathedral in Barcelona the other day, and Gaudi and Messiaen are absolutely kindred spirits, the first thing I thought of when I saw the inside was, how well would not Messiaen's organ music fit here!










/ptr


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

My personal favourite, out of an embarrassment of riches, is the orchestral song cycle _*Scheherazade*_. Simply beautiful, and as exquisite in its scoring as any of his works. Runners up: the two piano concertos and Daphnis et Chloe.


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## userfume (Nov 21, 2012)

Piano Trio, Gaspard de la Nuit, Piano Concertos, String Quartet
Especially the moment in the LH concerto when the piano comes in and feels like a massive breath of clean, fresh air after all the bass/contrabassoon and then loud stuff


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## Guest (Mar 27, 2013)

Art Rock said:


> My personal favourite, out of an embarrassment of riches, is the orchestral song cycle _*Scheherazade*_. Simply beautiful, and as exquisite in its scoring as any of his works. Runners up: the two piano concertos and Daphnis et Chloe.


You are so right, "an embarrassment of riches". Imagine: a piano concerto for the left hand only and it sounds like both hands. Another composer wrote a concerto for one hand too and I've forgotten who it was.

Ravel's Concerto for Left Hand only is noble, tender and beautiful. The G major is pretty stunning, particularly that inner movement - which is sheer poetry. I stop breathing each time I hear it. Listen to it now with Martha Argerich (not my fave pianist, BTW):






(This isn't the best sound quality, sorry.)


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

CountenanceAnglaise said:


> Another composer wrote a concerto for one hand too and I've forgotten who it was.


Most famous: Prokofiev. But also Korngold and Franz Schmidt.


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## Guest (Mar 27, 2013)

Art Rock said:


> Most famous: Prokofiev. But also Korngold and Franz Schmidt.


OK, I remember now about Prokofiev (when you said it) but I hadn't heard that EWK had written one and I don't know Schmidt. I wonder why?

The gentle and sensitive Ravel was badly psychologically damaged by his time as an ambulance driver in WW1. He had what's today known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

What a composer: he's got to be right up there at the very top for me. When I listen to his works I feel that music was evolving to that single point, such refinement and mastery it has and he was one of the greatest orchestrators who ever lived.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

CountenanceAnglaise said:


> .. I don't know Schmidt. I wonder why?


Why You don't know Schmidt or why all these concertos where written?

The answer to the latter question is; The Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein (Brother of the Philosopher Ludwig), who lost his right arm in WW I. He had a bunch of Concertos and works written for him, many which he deemed unplayable and that ended up in is music drawer (fx. the concerto Hindemith wrote for him). *Here* is a partial list of works associated with PW.









Portrait of PW from Wikipedia!

/ptr


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

Love everything. Gaspard De La nuit is my favorite work along with pavane for a dead princess


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

CountenanceAnglaise said:


> OK, I remember now about Prokofiev (when you said it) but I hadn't heard that EWK had written one and I don't know Schmidt. I wonder why?


Franz Schmidt wrote at least one work you might want to be aware of, his Symphony No. 4 in C major, which is in a single 45-minute long movement, written in memory of his departed daughter.

As for Ravel, ptr, did you know that Messiaen, while he enjoyed Ravel's music, hated the jazz elements in it? He found them alien to Ravel's style. He also disliked the melody of the slow movement of the concerto in G.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Mahlerian said:


> Franz Schmidt wrote at least one work you might want to be aware of, his Symphony No. 4 in C major, which is in a single 45-minute long movement, written in memory of his departed daughter.


A personal favourite of mine. The first three symphonies, the organ works, the oratorio Das Buch mit 7 Sieglen, and the chamber works are worthwhile as well.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Art Rock said:


> A personal favourite of mine. The first three symphonies, the organ works, the oratorio Das Buch mit 7 Sieglen, and the chamber works are worthwhile as well.


His other symphonies have done nothing for me personally, but as always, tastes vary. I'd like to hear his Revelation oratorio at some point, certainly.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Mahlerian said:


> As for Ravel, ptr, did you know that Messiaen, while he enjoyed Ravel's music, hated the jazz elements in it? He found them alien to Ravel's style. He also disliked the melody of the slow movement of the concerto in G.


I did, even the brightest of suns have little dark spots... 

/ptr


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## Schubussy (Nov 2, 2012)

Mahlerian said:


> He also disliked the melody of the slow movement of the concerto in G.


I didn't know Messiaen was insane.


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

I love all his oeuvre.
I think the jazz elements are pretty well managed, listen to this: 



, 



 (the second half). I mean, they don't sound strange in the pieces, they sound natural, essential to the structure of the pieces.
Now, if Ravel was faithful to his personality by incorporating these elements, only he can answer that.
In any case, it is good to remember this quote:

_Maurice Ravel - "But do these people never come up with the idea that I might be artificial by nature?"_


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

Mother Goose Suite. It takes me back to the day my daughter was born.


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## Feathers (Feb 18, 2013)

Gaspard de la Nuit, Sonatine, and Miroirs are among my favourite 20th century piano works. Sometimes they sound like they are glowing. XD


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I love all of Ravel's compositions, but my personal favorites would be: 

Piano Trio
Piano Concerto in G
Miroirs 
Le Tombeau De Couperin
Introduction and Allegro

(I can't narrow it down more than that I am tempted to keep listing works here)

Ravel is (along with Bach) my favorite composer. It is hard to put into words why I enjoy his music so much, but in a nutshell generally I do just love neo-classical and impressionistic music (and a lot of the art in general from this period), I love the hint of Spanish music in his work, the immaculate craftsmanship and orchestration, the attention to detail, his music strikes me as simultaneously traditional yet innovative, the unique orchestral colors, his focus and direction, his ideas always seem fully "crystallized", the music gets better with repeated listening. Although his oeuvre is rather small, there is so much quality work there that I never grow tired of it. There are still areas (for example his songs) I need to explore in more depth.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

I'll just have to second the Scheherazade song cycle, having been reminded of it again here.

For me the (four) non plus ultra masterpieces are:

The two _piano concerti_

_Daphnis et Chloe_ (complete version only, the suites are nearly all of it, re-orchestrated by Ravel, but without the chorus.)

And that amazing, magical, Phantasm children's story opera, with a score to match, the libretto by Colette,
_L'enfant et les sortileges._

P.s. for each of these, there is what I consider a 'must' archival recording, so much so that any later and also great recordings cannot adequately substitute, i.e. IMO, truly 'definitive.'

The _piano concerti_: Samson François; Société des concerts du conservatoire, André Cluytens.
(ditto François for the complete solo piano music)

_Daphis et Chloe_: Charles Munch, Boston Symphony and chorus

_L'enfant et les sortileges_: Loren Maazel, L'Orchestra National De La Radiodiffusion Française

If there is a recording of Scheherazade with the consummate singer / musician Régine Crespin, no matter what the quality of older audio, I'd grab it


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

tdc said:


> I love all of Ravel's compositions, but my personal favorites would be:
> 
> Piano Trio
> Piano Concerto in G
> ...


Indeed, in Ravel's music you will find hints of Spanish folklore music, oriental traditional music, jazz, impressionism, modernism, Mozart. It's a wild collage of styles and images. L'enfant et les sortileges is for me his ultimate masterpiece in regard to this aspect. 
Ligeti is very, very similar on this, that's the reason why they are my favorite composers. I love that kind of complexity in music, the wild collage of styles and images.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Daphnis and Chloe Complete.
La Valse,Fascinating exercise also try to find Leonard Pennario's piano version--impossible but he does it.
Gaspard de ls Nuit. When I first heard it I was mesmerized.
Sony have a double CD of Robert Casadesus playing the complete piano works---this is essential listening .He collaborated with Ravel often.
Casadesus has various versions of the Left-Hand concerto in the catalogues,they are of importance he was the man for this work.
Melodies Hebraiques and Kaddish, in fact all of the songs.
Piano Concerto in G. I prefer Michelangeli.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

moody said:


> Daphnis and Chloe Complete.
> La Valse,Fascinating exercise also try to find Leonard Pennario's piano version--impossible but he does it.
> Gaspard de ls Nuit. When I first heard it I was mesmerized.
> Sony have a double CD of Robert Casadesus playing the complete piano works---this is essential listening .He collaborated with Ravel often.
> ...


Going back a generation or more to Casadesus, another 'must' as you say (great recommend, embarrassed I did not recall him), I would also 'go back' to Vlado Perlemuter as well. A third, later generation than these two, but nonetheless 'great' and truly remarkable, was Monique Haas, extraordinary pianist / musician.


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## Guest (Mar 28, 2013)

aleazk said:


> Indeed, in Ravel's music you will find hints of Spanish folklore music, oriental traditional music, jazz, impressionism, modernism, Mozart. It's a wild collage of styles and images. L'enfant et les sortileges is for me his ultimate masterpiece in regard to this aspect.
> Ligeti is very, very similar on this, that's the reason why they are my favorite composers. I love that kind of complexity in music, the wild collage of styles and images.


Ditto, ditto, ditto!!! Yes, "complexity"!! Importantly, however, it's complexity without being derivative.

And "L'enfant et les sortileges" - that isn't often either played or discussed these days. Thanks for reminding me about it.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

I love the Toccata and the orchestration by Zoltan Kocsis.
I also love Gaspard de la Nuit. I like that Scarbo sounds like Scriabin n places.


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## worov (Oct 12, 2012)

Miroirs is my favorite :


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Maybe it's not one of his more profound works but the song cycle Histoires naturelles always brings a stupid grin to my face - but perhaps this is more to do with Renard's texts.

I have all of his output apart from a few vocal works with orchestra and I genuinely can't think of a single one from any category that doesn't given me pleasure. Another thing I've noticed with Ravel is that there's an appealing symmetry running through his output when separated into categories - two discs of piano works, two discs of songs, two discs of chamber, two discs of opera, two discs of orchestral music minus the concertante works and ballets (which combined would go onto two discs)...


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

I was listening to the left hand concerto (



), without paying much attention, almost like a background. 
And suddenly the first cadenza (at 5:45) started and took me by surprise. It's amazing what happened to me. When the melody at 5:55 started, the world around me seemed to stop moving, and that melody sounded like the most beautiful and sad melody I have ever heard.


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## hreichgott (Dec 31, 2012)

Tombeau de Couperin!! The best musical response to WWI that I know of...
Also, the Piano Trio in A minor.


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## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

hreichgott said:


> Tombeau de Couperin!! The best musical response to WWI that I know of...


Together with Vaughan Williams' Pastoral Symphony. 

Best regards, Dr


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## QuietGuy (Mar 1, 2014)

Daphnis et Chloe, La Valse, Ma Mere l'Oye (ballet) Valses Nobles et Sentimentales -- everything he wrote was a gem, polished to perfection.


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## Richannes Wrahms (Jan 6, 2014)

Mahlerian said:


> As for Ravel, ptr, did you know that Messiaen, while he enjoyed Ravel's music, hated the jazz elements in it? He found them alien to Ravel's style.


Sometimes I agree with his view. Jazz turns everything into jazz, and I don't believe in jazz.


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## Animato (Dec 5, 2013)

Why don't you mention the BOLERO ?

I know, a lot of us presumably have heard it so often, they can't here it any more.
I listened to BOLERO recently for the first time after more than ten or fifteen years. (Of course it 
was one of the first classical music pieces I heard when I was a child.)
This piece is absolutely fascinating. It is like one big "movement", growth of power.

among the different interpretations, I listened to, there seem to be two kind of "philosophies":
one is: play the BOLERO in less than 13 minutes time.
the other is: take your time with the BOLERO and don't play him in less than 15 minutes.

I like the 15-MInutes Philosophy  

best regards
Animato


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## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

Seventeen minutes is the time prescribed by Ravel. 

Some hate Bolero, but I am not among them - somehow I have not been overly exposed to it and I am still able to enjoy it from time to time. 


Best regards, Dr


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

​
Maurice Ravel (Ciboure,* 7 maart 1875* - Parijs, 28 december 1937.
Remembering Mr. Ravel


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## Michael Diemer (Nov 12, 2017)

Ravel is one of my 5 favorite composers. It's a tough call between "Le Tombeau" and the Piano Trio. I agree with those who cited "Miroirs" and "Gaspard" also. "Daphnis" is a stunner, a great piece of orchestration. I love both piano concertos, and agree that the slow movement of the G major is extremely beautiful. Then there's the violin sonata, where he uses the violin as if it were a banjo. A very jazzy piece. And the string quartet, possibly the best of the century. Debussy is reported to have told Ravel not to change one note of it, that it was perfect. Perfect is a good word to describe pretty much everything he did.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

A great composer. very self-critical though. He lamented on producing little, and composing was hard for him, but he didn’t compose anything derivative. A true artist


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## manyene (Feb 7, 2015)

For me the string quartet - cool, urbane, like the composer himself. And a genuine string quartet: I like the Debussy with which it is coupled, but I often feel that Debussy thought in orchestral terms, unlike Ravel.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I love Ravel and the impressionists in general. His piano trio is striking as are Debussy's. I have a CD that has piano trios by both composers that I adore! Of course I think Bolero is great, even though cliche. Things don't become cliche for no reason though! I need to explore more!


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

manyene said:


> For me the string quartet - cool, urbane, like the composer himself. And a genuine string quartet: I like the Debussy with which it is coupled, but I often feel that Debussy thought in orchestral terms, unlike Ravel.


Ravel perhaps was cool and urbane, yet I have always felt that exterior concealed another Ravel who peered into another musical world entirely--exotic, ecstatic, magical. Compositions such as the Concerto for the Left Hand, Le Jardin Féerique, Boléro, parts of Daphnis result from Ravel's glimpses into that other dimension.


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

Give these assignments to any would-be composer you know and watch them pull their hair out:

Write a 15 minute piece for full orchestra using one melody. Oh, and you're only allowed one modulation.

Or, how about this assignment:

Make the piano mimic the sound of water flowing in a fountain.

Or,

Write a concerto for piano and orchestra, with literally, one hand tied behind your back.

And the final assignment - write so well that the above assignments are all masterpieces.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Room2201974 said:


> Give these assignments to any would-be composer you know and watch them pull their hair out:
> 
> Write a 15 minute piece for full orchestra using one melody. Oh, and your only allowed one modulation.
> 
> ...


That definitely puts things into perspective!


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