Ravel - Piano Music

Maurice Ravel

Often labelled an impressionist, Maurice Ravel's style grew out of his great interest in a broad variety of styles, including Spanish folk music, French baroque, and American jazz. At the same time he considered himself in many ways a classicist. An outwardly elegant person, always immaculately dressed, his art seems to strike a perfect balance between pure intellect and emotion. The exquisite craftsmanship of his scores is always matched by a great commitment to melody and a fascinating depth of passion.



Top Pieces:


Pavane pour une infante défunte

"An evocation of a pavane that a little princess might, in former times, have danced at the Spanish court“ (Ravel)

Jeux d'eau

Ravel, inspired by the musical sounds of fountains, waterfalls and streams, headed the score to Jeux d’Eau with a line from a poem by Henri de Régnier: “The River God laughing at the waters that tickle him”

Sonatine

The Sonatine features many of Ravel's stylistic trademarks in an exquisitely handled classical form.

Scarbo

Inspired by the dark poetry of Aloysius Bertrand, Gaspard de la Nuit is a triptych evoking images of horror. The third and most famous piece depicts an evil goblin who appears in the dead of night and plays with your mind.

Alborada del Gracioso

This piece combines the flavour of Andalusian folk music with pianistic acrobatics such as double glissandi and extremely fast repeated notes.

Biography

Although Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) has often been compared to Claude Debussy, its fair to say that Ravel was more of a classicist than his great contemporary, being more influenced by the concertos of Mozart and Saint-Saëns than by Wagner, whose music he disliked. He was also drawn to jazz and music from Spain and Russia. A fastidious worker, he honed his works to perfection, leading Stravinsky to talk about "Ravel the Swiss Watchmaker". Originally from the Basque town of Ciboure, near Biarritz, he entered the Paris Conservatory in 1889; among his teachers were Gabriel Fauré. He remained at the Conservatory for not less than 16 years. During his last years there, Ravel tried in vain to win the prestigious Prix de Rome for composition, and was eventually forbidden to try it once more. A minor scandal followed, which eventually lead to the resignation of the director and Ravel leaving the conservatory.

During the first World War, Ravel was denied active army service because of his age and frail health, but he nevertheless served his country as an ambulance driver. In 1920, the French government awarded him with the Legion d´honneur, which he declined. In 1928 he met with great acclaim during a piano tour of the USA, where he also made friends with George Gershwin. In 1932 Ravel suffered a car accident from which he never fully recovered. He began to experience aphasia-like symptoms and his output dropped dramatically. Medical experts examining Ravel´s clinical history have speculated that at the time of the accident he was already in the early stages of frontotemporal dementia. It has also been argued that effects of this neurological disease can be traced in works like Boléro and the piano concerto for the left hand. In 1937, Ravel agreed to undergo experimental surgery on his brain, but the operation was unsuccessful and he died shortly afterwards.

Ravel was a superb orchestrator, who spent much of his time orchestrating piano works by himself and others, notably Debussy and Mussorgsky (Pictures of an Exhibition). He worked with the famous choreographer Sergei Diaghilev in stage productions of his ballets Ma Mère l´Oye and Daphnis et Chloé.


Quotes by Ravel

“We should always remember that sensitiveness and emotion constitute the real content of a work of art.

”Whatever sauce you put around the melody is a matter of taste. What is important is the melodic line. (Ravel to Vaghan Williams)

Quotes about Ravel

''The most perfect of Swiss clockmakers'' (Stravinsky)

Ravel Piano Sheet Music

for digital devices or to download & print

Total pieces by Ravel: 32

ID:27
TitleKey YearLevel

Most popular pieces:

Pavane pour une infante défunte E Minor 18998+
Jeux d'eau E Major 19018+
Sonatine F-sharp Minor 19058+
Scarbo N/A 19088+
Alborada del Gracioso N/A 19058+

All pieces:


Concertos

Piano Concerto - for the Left Hand D Major 19308+
Piano Concerto G Major 19318+

Miroirs

1. Noctuelles N/A 19058+
2. Oiseaux Tristes N/A 19058+
3. Une Barque sur l'océan N/A 19058+
4. Alborada del Gracioso N/A 19058+
5. La Vallée des Cloches N/A 19058+

Gaspard de la nuit

1. Ondine C-sharp Major 19088+
2. Le Gibet E-flat Minor 19088+
3. Scarbo N/A 19088+

Works for four hands or two pianos

Sites auriculaires - for two pianos N/A 18978+
Shéhérazade: Ouverture de féérie - for four hands B Minor 18988+
Introduction and Allegro - for two pianos G-flat Major 19058+
Rapsodie espagnole - for two pianos N/A 19078+
Mother Goose - for four hands N/A 19108
Frontispice - for two pianos and five hands N/A 19188+
La valse - for two pianos N/A 19208+
Fanfare - for two pianos B Major 19278+
Boléro - for four hands C Major 19288+

Miscellaneous pieces

Sérénade grotesque F-sharp Minor 18938+
Menuet antique F-sharp Minor 18958+
Pavane pour une infante défunte E Minor 18998+
Jeux d'eau E Major 19018+
Sonatine F-sharp Minor 19058+
Minuet on the Name of Haydn G Major 19097
Mother Goose - for solo piano N/A 19108+
Valses Nobles et Sentimentales N/A 19118+
In the style of Borodin - Waltz N/A 19138
In the style of Emanuel Chabrier - Paraphrase on a melody by Gounod N/A 19138
Prelude A Minor 19137
Le Tombeau de Couperin N/A 19178+
La Valse N/A 19208+


Forum posts about Maurice Ravel

Thoughts on Durand? by bwl_13
I was recently at my local Long and McQuade and purchased the complete piano works of Ravel for $26 CAD! I've heard online that Durand i...

Where to Buy Music Books by bwl_13
I've been wondering where is the best place to buy Urtext or generally trusted editions online? I've been on Amazon and the prices t...

Looking for a comprehensive music theory book which pulls absolutely no punches by ranjit
I think I should be able to follow pretty much any explanation when it comes to music theory. So what I'm looking for is a music theory ...

Other impressionist composers? (Besides Debussy and Ravel) by billym
Everyone knows Debussy and Ravel, but I am wondering if there are any other notable composers that are part of the impressionism movement......

Ravel piano repertoire in progressive manner. by thaicheow
Hi, Wonder how should I start up with Ravel. Anyone may can give me some suggestion, or list his work from easier pieces to more difficult p...

Re: Who Is the best playing Ravel?? by Nicko124
Pascal Roge has been great listening for me but the only other good recordings i have heard are Vlado Perlemuter . To be honest they have bo...

Ravel by Fugue
Does anyone know of any good intermediate (as in level 4-7 ish) Ravel peices? Ravel is one of my favorate composers, and I can't seem t...

Ravel on Ravel by minimozart007
What do you think of this quote: "I hate to have my music interpreted: it suffices to merely play it."       &nbs...