Maurice Ravel
March 7, 1875 - Ciboure (France) — December 28, 1937 - Paris (France)
About
Maurice Ravel, from the Bolero to the Tombeau de Couperin
Ravel, the most captivating musician of the 20th century, internationally renowned thanks to his Boléro, was a precocious child. Nevertheless, his studies at the Conservatoire were not crowned with the famous Prix de Rome, which he attempted three times. On the other hand, his encounters with Gabriel Fauré and Gédalge were to be important and decisive for his musical orientation. His friendship with the pianist Ricardo Vines led him to compose his first pages for the instrument, Pavane for a Dead Princess and Water Games (Jeux d’eau), whose pianistic writing was both sumptuous and daring. Set aside from official spheres, Ravel was solely concerned with composition and produced masterpieces in quick succession: Tales from Nature, Demons of the Night, and Spanish Rhapsody.