Music #412 - Ravel

Maurice Ravel

(1875 – 1937)

A French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects. 

Along with Claude Debussy, he was one of the most prominent figures associated with Impressionist music. 

Ravel's piano compositions demand considerable virtuosity from the performer, such as 
Jeux d'eau, 
Miroirs, 
Le tombeau de Couperin and 
Gaspard de la nuit, 

His orchestral music, including Daphnis et Chloé and his arrangement of Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, use a variety of sound and instrumentation. 

Boléro

Ravel is perhaps known best for his orchestral work Boléro, which he considered trivial and once described as ... 

* "a piece for orchestra without music"  
* solo
* in Maurice Bejart's production
* in ballet on ice

Tzigane 

* Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violon)

Daphnis et Chloé  

* ballet

 

Ma mère l'Oye

/Mother Goose (suite)

 

Piano Concerto for the Left Hand 

was completed for an Austrian pianist who had lost his right arm during WWI.

* abridged version
* full version

Source: Wikipedia