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Maurice Ravel was born on March 7, 1875 in Ciboure, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France and was credited as a conductor, pianist and composer. Death is recorded on December 28, 1937, at the age of 62. Listed accolades include Prix de Rome, Knight of the Legion of Honour, Grammy Hall of Fame (1991) and 1 more. Maurice Ravel was associated with Daphnis et Chloé, Boléro and Miroirs.
My Take
Ravel is, to my ear, the great jeweler of orchestral sound. Boléro gets dismissed as a one-trick crescendo, but I hear an architect's blueprint, every repetition calculated toward that final detonation. He resisted the Impressionist label, and I agree with him: where Debussy blurs, Ravel sharpens, carving clean edges out of color. The diabolical difficulty of Gaspard de la nuit and the sensuality of Daphnis et Chloé both seem rooted in the seaside Basque world of his birth. Even the Prix de Rome scandals make him more human to me. A posthumous Grammy Hall of Fame entry only confirms what I already feel: his precision is timeless.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Maurice Ravel
- Name (Japanese)
- モーリス・ラヴェル
- Reading
- もーりす・らゔぇる
- Born
- March 7, 1875 – December 28, 1937
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Boar
- Origin
- Ciboure, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
- Occupation
- conductor / pianist / composer
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Prix de Rome
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
- 1991 Grammy Hall of Fame
- Honorary Member of the International Society for Contemporary Music
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Daphnis et Chloé | — | |
| Notable work | Boléro | — | |
| Notable work | Miroirs | — | |
| Notable work | Piano Concerto | — | |
| Notable work | Gaspard de la nuit | — |
4. Links
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Maurice Ravel born?
Born March 7, 1875.
When did Maurice Ravel die?
Died December 28, 1937, aged 62.
Where was Maurice Ravel from?
Maurice Ravel was from Ciboure, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France.
What did Maurice Ravel do?
Maurice Ravel worked as conductor, pianist, composer.
What was Maurice Ravel known for?
Notable works include Daphnis et Chloé, Boléro, Miroirs.
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