Born: 1875, Ciboure, France
Died: 1937, Paris, France

“Music, I feel, must be emotional first and intellectual second.”

Along with Debussy, Maurice Ravel was one of the pioneering musicians of the early 20th century. He, like his contemporary, was an impeccable orchestrator. His fascination with the exotic and the past can be heard in works such as the Rapsodie espagnole and Le tombeau de Couperin, the former inspired by Spain, the latter by 18th-century French music. Later in his career, Ravel was influenced by jazz, especially after meeting Gershwin in 1928. His distinctive voice was simultaneously one of the last of the Romantic era and one of the first of the modern age.

Further listening:
Alborada del gracioso  (1904-1905)
Berlin Philharmonic, Pierre Boulez (DG)

Piano Concerto in G (1929-1931)
Martha Argerich; Berlin Philharmonic,
Claudio Abbado (DG)