Ravels

Featuring

Christophe Collette
Emmanuel Bernard
Vincent Deprecq
Cédric Conchon
Franck Tortiller
Quatuor Debussy

Maurice Ravel

Did you know?

1/7

Interpretation

The cellist Alain Brunier transcribed Ravel's Ma mère l'Oye for string quartet, drawing inspiration from both the original piano duet and Ravel's 1911 orchestration for ballet.

Recording & Production

Maurice Ravel supervised a recording of his String Quartet in 1927, annotating the score to indicate desired changes in articulation or tempo.

Composer Biography

Maurice Ravel dedicated his String Quartet to his composition teacher, Gabriel Fauré, who reportedly did not appreciate the work.

Composition History

Ma mère l'Oye (Mother Goose) was dedicated to Mimi and Jean Godebska, the children of Ravel's friends Cipa and Ida Godebski, who hosted a Parisian salon for artists.

Notable Performances

Claude Debussy, a fellow French composer, attended the final rehearsal of Ravel's String Quartet in 1904 and urged Ravel not to change anything in its tonal balance.

Composition History

Maurice Ravel's String Quartet, completed in 1903, marked a turning point in his career as his first great work, following two failures to win the Prix de Rome.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Maurice Ravel stated that his aim in composing Ma mère l'Oye (Mother Goose) was to evoke the poetry of childhood, which led him to simplify his style and thin out the texture.