Maurice Ravel's 'La Valse' was originally planned as a ballet and commissioned by Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev, but he rejected it for lacking choreographic potential.
Compositional Technique
In 'Boléro', Maurice Ravel gives the snare drum player a prominent and demanding part: a rhythmic ostinato that must be maintained precisely for 15 minutes.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Maurice Ravel's compositions on this album transport the listener to different worlds with impressionistic colors, featuring oriental melodies, Iberian rhythms, and dream images.
Composition History
Maurice Ravel dedicated each of the six movements of 'Le Tombeau de Couperin' to the memory of a friend who had fallen in the First World War.
Composition History
All the works by Maurice Ravel on this CD also exist in a version for piano, and some were even originally written for the instrument.
Composition History
Maurice Ravel's repeated rejections from the prestigious Prix de Rome competition in 1905 caused a public scandal known as the 'Ravel affair'.
Composer Biography
Maurice Ravel, despite composing works with high technical demands for piano, had failed the conservatory's piano master class three times and lost interest in a piano career.
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