Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Maurice Ravel is one of France’s most enigmatic, original and beloved composers. While less prolific than some of his contemporaries, Ravel was a master of detail - his works are elegant and exquisitely crafted, and precision was a guiding force in both his creativity and personality. He is often linked with impressionism for his painterly approach to orchestration and vivid soundworlds of his piano writing, but his distinctive voice bears influences from the baroque, to the exotic, to jazz. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod drops five pins on the map of Ravel’s life story, discovering the places that were important to him and what they reveal about his character.

Music featured:

Habanera Pavane pour une infante defunte Alborada del Gracioso (Miroirs) Piano Trio Don Quichotte a Dulcinée D’Anne jouant de l’espinette Jeux d’eau String Quartet (1st and 2nd movements) Miroirs (III. Une barque sur l‘océan; V. Vallée des cloches) Introduction and Allegro for harp, flute, clarinet and string quartet Valses nobles et sentimentales, or Adélaïde (I. Modéré – tres franc) Trois beaux oiseaux Deux mélodies hébraïques (I. Kaddisch) Le Tombeau de Couperin La Valse Daphnis et Chloé: Part III (Lever du jour) Sonatine (II. Mouvement de minuet) Violin Sonata in G major Piano Concerto in G major Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré Ma Mere L’Oye Suite Tzigane L'enfant et les sortilèges: Duo miaulé (Cat Duet) Bolero

Presented by Donald Macleod Produced in Cardiff by Amelia Parker

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000tdt2

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z