Born March 7, 1875; Cibourne, France
Died December 28, 1937; Paris, France
Piano Concerto in G Major

COMPOSED

1929 – 1931; 56 years old

Joseph Maurice Ravel, the French maestro of musical magic, enchanted the world with his innovative compositions, earning him a spot as one of France’s greatest living composers in the 1920s and 1930s. Born into a family that breathed music, Ravel faced the snooty side-eye of the Paris Conservatoire, shaking things up with his rebellious style. Refusing to be confined by musical boundaries, he sprinkled his compositions with a dash of modernism, a pinch of baroque, and a swirl of jazz in later works.

With a penchant for experimentation, Ravel crafted musical wonders like Boléro (1928), where repetition took the spotlight in lieu of traditional development. A master of orchestration, he even jazzed up Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition in 1922. Though a slow and meticulous creator, Ravel’s piano masterpieces, chamber music, and ballet creations, like Daphnis et Chloé (1912), still dance in our hearts today. Known for his love of recording, Ravel hopped on the technological bandwagon early, immortalizing his musical genius for the world to enjoy. So, if you ever find yourself enchanted by the mystical notes of Gaspard de la nuit, tip your hat to Ravel, the musical wizard who turned every composition into a timeless spellbinding journey.dissonance yet retaining a lyrical quality, make him a trailblazer in 20th-century classical music.