Ravel wrote in 1928 that composers should be aware of both individual and national
consciousness. In that year Ravel toured the United States and Canada by train and gave
piano recitals in the great concert halls of twenty-five cities. There is a story that when
American composer George Gershwin met Ravel he mentioned that he would have liked
to study with Ravel. According to Gershwin, Ravel replied, ‘Why do you want to
become a second-rate Ravel when you are already a first-rate Gershwin?’ The second
part of the story has Ravel asking Gershwin how much money he made and, on hearing
Gershwin’s reply, Ravel suggested that maybe he should study with Gershwin. This tale
may be aprocryphal, however, as Gershwin told a similar story about a conversation with
Arnold Schoenberg. In any event, this was presumably before Ravel wrote ‘Bolero’
which was very financially remunerative, even though Ravel himself considered it trivial
and once even described it as ‘a piece for orchestra without music’.
Ravel considered himself in many ways to be a classicist. He relied on traditional forms
and structures as ways of presenting his innovative harmonies. He often masked the
sections of his structure with transitions that disguised the beginnings of the motif. This
is apparent in his ‘Valse Nobles et Sentimentales, inspired by Schubert, where the seven
movements begin and end without pause.
Although Ravel’s music has tonal centres, it was innovative for his time. In keeping with
the French school pioneered by Chabrier, Satie and Debussy, Ravel’s melodies are almost
exclusively modal. Instead of using major or minor for his predominant harmonic
language, he preferred modes with major or minor flavours, for example, the Mixolydian
mode with its lowered leading tone instead of the major and the Aeolian mode instead of
the harmonic minor. As a result, there are virtually no leading notes in his output.
Melodically he tended to favour two modes, the Dorian and the Phrygian. He was in no
way dependent on the modes exclusively for he used extended harmonies and intricate
modulations outside the realm of traditional modal practices. Ravel was fond of chords
of the ninth and eleventh and the acidity of his harmonies is largely the result of his
fondness for unresolved appoggiaturas.
His piano music, some of which is is noted for its technical challenges, for example,
‘Gaspard de la Nuit’, was an extension of Lisztian virtuosity. Even his most difficult
pieces, however, are marked by elegance and refinement. He was inspired by various
dances, his favourite being the minuet. Other forms from which Ravel drew material
included the forlane, rigaudon, waltz, czardas, habanera, passacaglia and the bolèro.
Ravel has been considered one of the two great French musical impressionists, the other
being Debussy, but in reality he is much more than just an impressionist. Even when
writing in the style of others, Ravel’s own voice as a composer remains distinct.
RECORDING ARTISTS
Alphabetical list
Eugen d’Albert 1864-1932