Maurice Ravel

Books about Maurice Ravel and his music

Deborah Mawer and Jonathan Cross The Cambridge Companion to Ravel (Cambridge Companions to Music) Cambridge University Press, 2000; ISBN 0521648564; 312 pages This Companion provides a comprehensive introduction to the life, music and compositional aesthetic of French composer Maurice Ravel (1875SH1937). Leading international scholars offer a powerful reassessment of this most private and elusive musician, examining his work in detail within its cultural context. Marking the 125th anniversary of Ravel's birth, the volume explores the full range of his work--piano repertory, chamber works, orchestral music, ballets, songs and operas--and concludes by analyzing the performance and reception of his music, including previously untranslated reviews. Price indication: $ 29.99

Gerald Larner Maurice Ravel (20th-Century Composers) Phaidon Press, 1996; ISBN 0714832707; 240 pages From the "Pavane pour une Infante defunte" to "Bolero", much of the music of Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) is among the most accessible of any written during the last 100 years. The man himself, on the other hand, was notoriously difficult to get to know, partly because of his natural modesty and inherent reserve, but partly also because there were aspects of his character which he preferred to conceal even from his closest friends. It is Gerlad Larner's aim in this biography to trace the development of the composer's personality not only through events in his life and in the society around him, but also through his music, which is more revealing in this respect than is generally believed. Ravel tended to reveal most of himself at times of crisis, such as the outbreak of World War I in 1914 and the death of the mother he worshipped in 1917. "Adversity", the chapter devoted to those years, is a central feature in a book which begins by evaluating the importance of Ravel's mixed Basque and Swiss heredity and which then pursues the first part of his life through his childhood in Bohemian Montmatre, his controversial activities as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, and the establishment of his career as a composer fascinatingly interlinked with that of his older contemporary Claude Debussy. A moving description of his war service as a truck driver is followed by an account of the slow recovery from the failure in his health and morale after the death of his mother, the period of conflict and reconciliation with the new post-war movement represented by Erik Satie and Les Six, and a last decade of international celebrity which coincided with the gradual onset of illness which silenced him for four years before his death in 1937. This text is part of the 20th-century composers series, examining composers in a biographical context, and offering a comprehensive study of key figures in the creation of 20th-century music. None of the books in the series presume a knowledge of specialized terms or musical notation. Each book in the series features a list of works, a bibliography, and a discography. Price indication: $ 16.47

Vlado Perlemuter and Helene Jourdan-Morhange Ravel According to Ravel Kahn & Averill Publishers, 2005; ISBN 1871082781; 104 pages Price indication: $ 13.09

Arbie Orenstein A Ravel Reader : Correspondence, Articles, Interviews Dover Publications, 2003; ISBN 0486430782; 704 pages Maurice Ravel played a decisive role in the history of modern French music. This reader captures the essence of this enigmatic man through his own words, both written and spoken. This compilation of articles by Ravel (who was a brilliant critic) features reviews, interviews, and some 350 letters from Cocteau, Colette, de Falla, Richard Strauss, Stravinsky, and others. Price indication: $ 23.07

Arbie Orenstein Ravel : Man and Musician Dover Publications, 1991; ISBN 0486266338; 352 pages The standard Ravel biography by the world’s foremost authority—brilliantly detailed and documented, filled with quotations from letters, interviews with the composer’s friends, an illuminating analysis of each of his works, a study of his musical esthetics and language, a complete catalog of his works, and a discography. "Highly recommended"—Choice. 48 illustrations. Price indication: $ 11.53

Stephen Zank Maurice Ravel : A Guide to Research (Composer Resource Manuals) Routledge, 2001; ISBN 0815316186; 432 pages Price indication: $ 70.06

Burnett James and David Burnett-James Ravel (The Illustrated Lives of the Great Composers' Ser.) Omnibus Press, 1988; ISBN 0711909873; 144 pages Price indication: $ 13.57

Rollo H. Myers Ravel : His Life and Works Greenwood Press Reprint, 1973; ISBN 0837168414; 239 pages Price indication: $ 65.00

Benjamin Ivry Maurice Ravel : A Life Welcome Rain Publishers, 2000; ISBN 1566491525; 229 pages Price indication: $ 46.90

Manuel Rosenthal Satie, Ravel, Poulenc: An Intimate Memoir Hanuman Books, 1987; ISBN 0937815098; 81 pages Price indication: $ 5.95

Roland-Manuel Maurice Ravel Dover Publications, 1972; ISBN 0486206955; 150 pages Price indication: (used only): from $ 6.00

Roger Nichols Ravel remembered Norton, 1988; ISBN 039302573X; 203 pages Price indication: $ 9.90

Madeleine Goss Bolero;: The life of Maurice Ravel, Tudor Publ. co, 1945; 303 pages Price indication: (used only): from $ 7.75

Ravel Maurice Lettres, Ecrits, entretiens Flammarion, 1993; ISBN 2080661035 Price indication: $ 110.62

Burnett James Ravel, his life and times Hippocrene Books, 1983; ISBN 0882546651; 144 pages Price indication: (used only): from $ 4.75

Victor Ilyitch Seroff Maurice Ravel, (Biography index reprint series) Books for Libraries Press, 1970; 310 pages Price indication: (used only): from $ 10.00

Victor Ilyitch Seroff Maurice Ravel;: Illustrated with photos Holt, 1953; 310 pages Price indication: (used only): from $ 4.97

Sheet music, libretti, etc.

Alborada del Gracioso & Prelude et Danse du Rouet from Ma Mere l'Oye in Full - Dover Publications
<DIV>Maurice Ravel's unparalleled flair for orchestration is showcased in his masterful arrangement of his own piano showpiece, <I>Alborada del Gracioso,</I> a vibrant, Spanish-influenced work that celebrates his Basque heritage. It appears here with the <I>Prélude</I> and <I>Danse du Rouet</I>, written especially for the ballet version of <I>Ma Mère la Oye</I>.</DIV>

Daphnis and Chloe in Full Score - Dover Publications
<DIV><DIV>Definitive full-score edition — unavailable elsewhere — of this great orchestral masterpiece. Ravel's rich musical setting of a Greek fable by Longus is reprinted here from the original French edition.</DIV></DIV>

Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2 (Dover Miniature Scores) - Dover Publications
Commissioned by Diaghilev for the Ballet Russes, Ravel’s orchestral masterpiece offers a rich musical setting of a Greek fable by Longus. This 20th-century classic displays the composer’s genius for transmuting a traditional musical idiom into a fresh and stirring language of his own. Reproduced from the original French edition.<br>

L'Heure Espagnole in Full Score - Dover Publications
Lighthearted musical romp, full of orchestral color and evocative sound effects, concerns a clockmaker and his unfaithful wife. Grove’s Dictionary calls it one of Ravel’s "most brilliantly successful achievements in a light vein." Reproduced here from an authoritative 1911 French edition. List of Characters. Instrumentation.<br>

La Valse : in Full Score (Dover Miniature Scores) - Dover Publications

La Valse for Two Pianos : The Composer's Original Version - Dover Publications
<DIV>This edition of <I>La Valse </I>reproduces the composer's original piano duet version, which displays all the virtuosity, technical brilliance, and sensuality that are the hallmarks of his style. From the opening rumblings in the bass register, a waltz rhythm emerges and expands into a grand Viennese dance. Perfect for duet players, this edition includes 2 complete copies of the work.</DIV>

Le Tombeau de Couperin and Other Works for Solo Piano - Dover Publications
Essential pieces for intermediate and advanced pianists, reproduced from authoritative French scores. This superb compilation contains Ma mère l’oye [Mother Goose], Valse nobles et sentimentales, Le tombeau de Couperin: Suite pour piano, and La Valse as well as three shorter pieces: Prèlude, A la manière de Borodin (Valse) and A la manière de Emmanuel Chabrier.<br>

Le Tombeau de Couperin and Valses Nobles et Sentimentales in Full Score - Dover Publications
Influenced by the elegant 18th-century harpsichord works of Couperin, Rameau and Scarlatti, Le Tombeau de Couperin consists of "Prelude," "Forlane," "Menuet," and "Rigaudon." The uninterrupted eight waltzes of Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, orchestrated in 1912 to serve as music for a ballet, abound with lilting rhythms and unexpected harmonic subtleties. This volume of two inspired works will be valued additions to the libraries of musicians, music lovers, and admirers of Ravel.<br>

Maurice Ravel - Collected Songs - Durand

Maurice Ravel: Album for Piano (Kalmus Classic Library) - Warner Bros Pubns
This new album includes five of Ravel's advanced piano works in their original form. Titles include Jeux d'eau, Minuet Antique and three pieces from the larger set Mirroirs. An interesting collection.

Miroirs (Piano Solos) (Kalmus Classic Edition) - Warner Brothers Publications
Maurice Ravel’s Miroirs is perfect for the aspiring piano player who desires more challenging material. Written in 1905, this collection of five piano solos clearly represents Ravel’s compositional style during the Impressionistic period. Each work contained sharply defined ideas and modal/tonal concepts unrivaled by any of his contemporaries. This cycle is presented in its entirety with French editorial markings throughout. Just in time for the advanced piano student!! Titles are: Noctuelles * Oiseau Tristes * Une Barque Sur L’ocèan * Alborada del Gracioso * La Vallée des Cloches.

Piano Masterpieces of Maurice Ravel - Dover Publications
Handsome, affordable treasury of outstanding works by French master: Pavane pour une infante defunte, Jeux d’eau, Sonatine, Miroirs, Menuet antique, Gaspard de la nuit, more. Influential works belong in the repertoire of every serious pianist.<br>

Piano Trio, Mallarme Poems and Other Chamber Works - Dover Publications

Rapsodie Espagnole, Mother Goose Suite, and Pavane for a Dead Princess in Full S - Dover Publications
Full, authoritative scores of 3 enormously popular works by the great French composer: Rapsodie Espagnole (1908), Ravel's first entirely orchestral composition; The Mother Goose Suite, a collection of children's pieces based on 5 fairy tales; and Pavane for a Dead Princess, rearranged in 1910 from an 1899 piano work.<br>

Ravel Noctuelles - Warner Bros Pubns

Ravel: Gaspard De LA Nuit - Alfred Pub Co

Songs, 1896-1914 - Dover Publications
Ravel’s greatest songs and song cycles—among them Sheherazade, Five Greek Folk Songs and Three Poems by Stephane Mallarme—edited and introduced by the world’s leading Ravel scholar, Arbie Orenstein. Reprinted from authoritative French editions and provided with new English translations.<br>