Why the sensuous ravel appeals to me

Ravel appeals to me because he is Ravel; the creator of orchestral, piano, vocal, chamber, opera and ballet music.

His scores were seeped in intellectuality and charged with emotion. His compositions were unlimited and very few matched his energy. Ravel was influenced by a great deal of masters ranging from Weber, Debussy, Chopin among others.

Ravel displayed his own brand of individuality especially in his essential works. A profuse writer of scores, he would simply shift on to a new score before he completed the one on hand.

A terrific ear for sound, Ravel was able to pick a note or two from a clap of thunder, movement of the breeze or the ripples in water.

Joseph Mayrice Ravel (1875-1937) was one of the two sons of Pierre Joseph Ravel who was an engineer with the Spanish Railway. Neither he nor his wife had no

claim to any form of musical involvement. There was not even a remote suggestion that the young Ravel would grow up to be one of France’s greatest composers. Ravel was able to play the piano even before he turned seven when he barely could stretch his fingers across an octave.

In 1882 when he was seven, music lessons began and he entered the Paris Conservatoire when another master, Faure was a teacher. He remained there for a further sixteen years which was an unusual long time.

He did this under stress to win the coveted Prix de Rome which Berlioz and Debussy were awarded earlier. But Ravel never made to it.

He tried hard the second time in 1902 but failed. Again his attempt in 1905 left him humiliated but by this time, Ravel had established himself as a respected composer.

He scored many a lovely piece among which scheherazade was hauntingly spectacular. When Ravel offered himself for services either in the army or air force it had serious effects on him because he was under the required weight.

Ravel was only seven stones, delicately built without much physical strength. Instead, he became an ambulance driver at the Front in Verdun. Though he was physically and emotionally fine, dysentery had adverse effects and had to recuperate in hospital.

Finally his mother’s death had a toll on him and he withdrew unto himself. He decided never to marry and moved over to a small villa called Belvedere, after the war.

This was about thirty miles to the south of Paris and lived in semi-seclusion. He transferred all his affections on his beautiful home. He lived with his house keeper, Siamese cats and love for Debussy.

Ravel continued to produce several masterpieces but was less inspired. A road accident in 1932 in a Paris taxi occurred. He never recovered from that and found a muscle co-ordination problem although his mind was clear. He became distressed and attempted to divert his synergy on friends and travel. Friends found him gazing out from his villa for hours.

Stravinsky found his music perfect and stated that ‘Gogol died screaming. Diaghileve died laughing but Ravel died gradually and that is the worst of all’. Suspecting a brain tumour, he opted for surgery but no tumour was found.

Nine days later, Ravel passed away having briefly regained consciousness. Shortly before his death, he heard a performance of his Daphnis Chloe and sighed in tears saying ‘I still have so much music in my head. I have said nothing. I have so much more to say’.

In a distinct French school of music, Ravel’s significance lay in establishing with Debussy.

It was precise, piquant, objective and classical. Music historians found it crystalline, clear-cut and elegant.

Debussy who was thirteen years senior to Ravel were inevitably compared. It appeared though in retrospect, that one influenced the other. However, the different characters of the two composers, represented the nature of their individuality.

One of the greatest orchestrators in musical history, Ravel put to use music ranging from delicate, passionate scores to Vienese waltzes and seductive charm of Spanish dance.

He wrote profusely for ballet and choreographers sought his music, especially Diaghilev. He also scored for Ballet Russe with Nikinsky in the lead as well as for Michel Fokine.

He was also commissioned by dancer, Ida Rubinstein.

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