Maurice Ravel

The Profile

Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) was a French composer and master orchestrator associated with musical Impressionism. Renowned for the clarity, color, and precision of his writing, he authored iconic orchestral, chamber, and piano works, as well as two operas.

Born in Ciboure, France; studied at the Paris Conservatoire; served in World War I; famed for orchestrating Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition; authored Daphnis et Chloé, Boléro, La valse, Ma mère l’oye, two piano concertos (including the Left Hand), the String Quartet in F, and the piano suite Gaspard de la nuit; died in 1937 in Paris.

Three highly positive reviews celebrate Ravel’s orchestral color, balance of tradition and innovation, and impressionist leanings. Boléro is praised for its hypnotic crescendo and structural simplicity. Tzigane is highlighted for violin virtuosity and rhythmic unpredictability. Ma mère l’oye, La valse, Pavane and the Spanish-flavored pages emerge as vivid reference points.