Contents
Maurice Ravel
Composing Boléro and creating exceptionally vivid orchestral colours.
Gaspard de la nuit · Daphnis et Chloé
- Born
- 7 March 1875
- Birthplace
- Ciboure, France
- Died
- 28 December 1937
More people
Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel was a French composer whose carefully crafted music absorbed dance rhythms, older forms and jazz. He also transformed piano works into celebrated orchestral scores.
Early life
Music at home
His Swiss-born engineer father and Basque mother encouraged his musical interests after the family moved to Paris.
Conservatoire years
Studied at the Paris Conservatoire, including composition with Gabriel Fauré.
Career
- 1890s
Independent voice
Began establishing his style through piano and chamber music while studying in Paris.
- 1912
Ballet collaboration
Daphnis et Chloé expanded his reputation as a composer for large orchestral forces.
- 1928
International touring
Toured North America as a performer and conductor during the year he completed Boléro.
Selected work
Gaspard de la nuit
Three highly demanding piano pieces inspired by prose poems.
Daphnis et Chloé
A ballet score using orchestra and wordless chorus.
Boléro
A repeated melody and rhythm gradually grow into a full orchestral climax.
Beyond work
War service
Served as a transport driver during the First World War.
Le Belvédère
Lived and worked in a small house in Montfort-l’Amaury filled with carefully chosen objects and mechanical toys.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author The image holder, the Bibliothèque nationale de France has not identified a photographer. (Follow link and click on "Detailed information".). Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
