Info maurice ravel biography book

Even though Ravel’s music was innovative, he did not follow the trend towards atonality Schoenberg pioneered. But, rather, applied the aesthetic of the New French School of Chabrier, Satie and Debussy.

He emphasized the importance of melody, stating to his pupil Ralph Vaughan Williams that there is “an implied melodic outline in all vital music.” Dances and folk tunes constituted a major source of inspiration: dance-wise he favored the minuet, composing the Minuet sur le nom d’Haydn (1909) and drew material from the forlane, the rigaudon, the waltz, the czars, the habanera, the passacaglia and the boléro, while in his Tzigane, he draws from Paganini’s and Liszt’s gypsy themes.

Ravel’s scholar Arbie Orenstein defined his art as “supremely French”, stating that his creative process “was based upon the time-honored French tradition of imitation.” Not only did this include the imitation of the music of other composers, but he imitated the sounds of the world around him, which made Ravel - Roger Nichols - Google Books KOWE