Maurice Ravel (Mau-REECE raw-VELL)
Born March 7, 1875 in the Basque region of France
Died December 28, 1937
Nationality: French
Period/Style: Modern
About the composer:
Ravel’s father was from Switzerland, his mother from the Basque region. Although Maurice was born in a small resort town, his family moved to Paris when he was just a baby, so that’s where he grew up. In the big city Maurice was surrounded by lots of great art and music and he met many important musicians who helped him along in his career. He studied at the Paris Conservatory (as many other composers have) and there he perfected his skill as a composer and orchestrator. His most popular piece is Bolero, but he certainly wrote much more music than that. In fact, Ravel wrote mostly piano music.
About the music:
Bolero (13-17 min)
Ravel wrote this one summer while he was visiting his home town for a family reunion. At the beginning you’ll hear the snare drum, softly tapping out the rhythm which will be repeated over and over through the piece. (The rhythm never changes.) You’ll also hear the low strings playing (in pizzicato) the three notes which outline the chord that provides the harmony for the entire piece. Then a flute enters with the melody. After that, a different instrument picks up the melody, then another, and another. The melody changes a little bit at times but always returns to the original tune. The piece builds in volume as more and more instruments enter. The music becomes louder and louder, but the tempo never changes. It ends in a blaze of excitement with the whole orchestra playing. Listen especially for the slide trombones at the end. Bolero was later choreographed for a ballet in Paris, and it was an instant success. It’s not hard to imagine dancing to this music!
Suggested activities:
Every time you hear the melody start over, write down the instrument(s) you hear. Sometimes it may be two or more different instruments playing together. Sometimes it’s the whole orchestra.
Look up the word “crescendo” and explain how it relates to this piece of music.
Other words to define: “tempo”, “pizzicato”, and “choreograph.”