Maurice Ravel. Life in art
Using the latest musical language,
Ravel at the same time had the deepest respect
to traditional forms and remained faithful to them in his works...
“Great music, I am convinced of this, always comes from the heart...”
Maurice Ravel
In his autobiography, published in 1928, Maurice Ravel described his first steps in life and music: “I was born on March 7, 1875 in Cibourg (Bas-Pyrenees), near Saint-Jean-de-Luz. My father, originally from Versoix, on the shores of Lake Leman, was a civil engineer. The mother belonged to an old Basque family. My parents moved to Paris when I was three months old. Since then I have lived there permanently. Even as a small child, I was receptive to music - to all music. My father, more knowledgeable in this art than most amateurs, began to develop these inclinations in me from an early age and encouraged my zeal. At the age of six, bypassing solfeggio, which I never took, I began to learn to play the piano. My teachers were Henri Guise, then M. Charles-René, with whom I first began to study harmony, counterpoint and composition. In 1889, I entered the Paris Conservatory, into the preparatory piano class under Antiome, and two years later I moved to the class of Charles Beriot.”.
Let us immediately note that the Basque origin of the composer’s mother gave a special originality to his work (this originality was most strongly manifested, of course, in the world famous “Bolero”). Compared to other composers, many of whom began writing music as soon as they were out of diapers, Ravel began “writing” quite late. His first works - Serenade "Grotesque" and "Ballad of a Queen Died of Love" - date back to 1893. At this time he studied in Pessar's harmony class. In 1895 he created "Ancient Minuet" and "Habanera" for piano. These things cannot be called significant works, but Ravel himself believed that “They already have such features that later became predominant in my works.”
Russian music had a great influence on the young composer. He admired the works of Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Mussorgsky (later he even orchestrated his “Pictures at an Exhibition”). However, it should be noted that the whole of Paris was under the spell of Russian music at that time. By the beginning of the twentieth century, Ravel was already quite famous in avant-garde circles as an excellent pianist and author of “charmingly strange” plays.
However, this “semi-underground” recognition was not enough to receive the highest composer award - the Rome Prize. For the first time, Ravel took part in the competition for the Prix de Rome in 1901 and received the second major prize. In 1902 and 1903, the commission rejected his works. The last time Ravel “tried his luck” was in 1905, but then the commission refused to allow him to participate in the competition because he was no longer “age-appropriate.”
In his autobiography, the composer devotes only two dry lines to this refusal: “In 1905, by decision of the jury, I was not admitted to the final round of the competition.” He makes no mention of the storm that erupted after this “jury decision.” The musical community was indignant. Romain Rolland addressed the commission with a fiery protest: “A sense of justice forces me to admit that Ravel is not only a promising student, but is already one of the brightest individuals of our school, in which there are not many of them. I have no doubt that you, gentlemen of the judges, had noble intentions, but by your refusal you doomed him to eternal torment... Ravel approaches the Prix de Rome not as a student, but as a composer who has a debut behind him. I am surprised at the composers who dared to appreciate it. Who will appreciate them when their time comes?
It is curious, but the scandal with the jury caused the Parisian beau monde to have an attack of doubled (if not tenfold) love for Ravel. Everyone vied with each other to try to “entertain” him, to show him their participation and support. So, the Edwards couple (Alfred Edwards was the editor-in-chief of the Matin newspaper, and his wife, a friend of Mallarmé, Renoir and Bonnard, was famous in the Parisian artistic world as one of the most generous philanthropists) invited him on a trip to the shores of Holland on board their luxury yacht .
In the following years, until the outbreak of the First World War, Ravel's fame grew, fueled by the success of his subsequent works. During these years, “Reflections”, “Natural Histories”, “My Mother Goose”, “Gaspard of the Night” (based on “Gaspard of Darkness” by Aloysius Bertrand), “Noble and Sentimental Waltzes”, “Rhapsody Spanish”, the opera “ The Spanish Hour" and the choreographic symphony "Daphnis and Chloe", written for the ballet troupe of Sergei Diaghilev.
When the First World War began, Ravel did not want to remain on the sidelines. He tried with all his might to get into the air force, but he was never allowed to “join the pilot.” The only thing he managed to achieve after numerous requests was to become a driver of an ambulance truck. From November 1915 to March 1917 he was in the active army. Dysentery put an end to his “military career” - after surgery and a long stay in the hospital, the composer was demobilized.
After demobilization, he settled in Lyons-la-Forêt and returned to creativity. This return was difficult. Ravel was tormented by insomnia, nervous disorders, and memories of dead friends. To them, who remained forever on the battlefields, he dedicated his “Tomb of Couperin,” begun back in 1914.
Only by the beginning of the 1920s was the composer able to return to the pre-war “working rhythm”. In 1921, he bought a house in Montfort-l'Amaury, a place fifty kilometers from Paris. Here, in silence and solitude, he rested his soul and created new works.
One of his most charming works of the 1920s is the opera-ballet “The Child and Magic” (1925). Staged immediately after being written in Monte Carlo, this enchanting musical fairy tale gained the ardent love of the public.
Until the end of the 1920s, Ravel led a very active life. He wrote a lot and went on speaking tours. His most important tours of these years included tours in England (here he was honored with a doctorate from Oxford University), Canada and Scandinavia. A brilliant reception awaited the composer in the USA.
In 1928, Ravel, at the request of the famous dancer Ida Rubinstein, wrote his most famous work, Bolero.
No less remarkable is another “commissioned” work by Ravel - the Piano Concerto for the left hand. Paul Wittgenstein, a German pianist who lost his right hand at the front, approached him with a request to write a concerto.
In 1933, the composer was in a car accident, which resulted in a severe brain tumor. The disease progressed, and in 1937, doctors, with little hope of success, decided to undergo surgery. The operation did not bring positive results, and on October 28, Maurice Ravel died.
Sounds of music
Noble and sentimental waltzes
Ravel said this about this cycle of eight waltzes: “The title “Noble and Sentimental Waltzes” itself speaks of my intention to create a cycle of waltzes like Schubert’s. Virtuosity - the basis of "Gaspard of the Night" - is replaced here by transparent writing, emphasizing harmony and revealing the melodic pattern.
“Noble and Sentimental Waltzes” were first performed to loud whistles and disapproving exclamations from the audience in one of the quiz concerts. Listeners voted to determine the author of each piece performed. By a small majority, the public recognized me as the author of “Waltzes.” The cycle “Noble and Sentimental Waltzes” was written in 1911 for piano. However, Ravel soon orchestrated it (as he did with most of his piano works).
But even in the orchestral version, “Waltzes” did not receive due recognition during the lifetime of their author. Even the seventh waltz, which Ravel considered the most characteristic in the entire cycle, did not gain the approval of critics and listeners. It should be noted that even now this cycle is performed less frequently than other works by Ravel, although it is one of his most elegant works.
Daphnis and Chloe
Ravel wrote the choreographic symphony in three movements “Daphnis and Chloe” in 1911 at the request of Sergei Diaghilev. The premiere of “Daphnis and Chloe” performed by Diaghilev’s troupe took place on June 8, 1912. The role of Daphnis was performed by the famous dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, and Chloe by the no less famous ballerina Tamara Karsavina.
Mikhail Fokin worked on the choreography, Lev Bakst created the costumes and scenery. In a word, the premiere was simply “doomed to success.”
The ballet's libretto takes us from pre-war Europe to the Golden Age. Daphnis and Chloe are the true children of happy Arcadia. They love each other with a bright and innocent love. They do not know the torment of jealousy and concern for their daily bread. But one day Chloe is kidnapped by pirates. Daphnis is stricken with grief. Seeing his despair, the nymphs ask Pan to help save the girl. Pan sends satyrs to her rescue, and soon the lovers are reunited. They swear eternal love at the altar of nymphs.
Despite some naivety of the libretto, as a stage performance “Daphnis and Chloe” makes an indelible impression. This is largely due, of course, to Ravel’s wonderful music. It is noteworthy, by the way, that almost all the most famous fragments of the ballet are those during which there is no dancing on stage.
The score of the ballet “Daphnis and Chloe” written for Diaghilev is one of the peaks of the composer’s work. Among her best pages is a painting of a sunrise. Two symphonic suites were composed from the ballet music.
"Beauty and the Beast" from the suite "My Mother Goose"
The plot of “My Mother Goose” is inspired by the stories of Charles Perrault and other storytellers. First, in 1908 - 1910, Ravel wrote a small suite of five pieces for piano duet. Then he orchestrated it for ballet. “Beauty and the Beast” is inspired by the popular fairy tale, which is familiar to many under the names “Zemira and Azor” or “The Scarlet Flower.” The slow waltz theme paints a portrait of a beauty. The monster's theme is initially played by a low and rough contrabassoon, but when the monster turns into a handsome prince, his theme also magically transforms.
Bolero
“There is only one way to imagine the true character of “Bolero” - by seeing it in the choreographic interpretation of Ida Rubinstein. Her performance will always remain an unattainable ideal, a model for future performers of Ravel’s work.” This is how one of the Parisian newspapers greeted the premiere of “Bolero” choreographically staged by Ida Rubinstein.
The main role in “Bolero” is played not so much by the mesmerizing melody, which is repeated throughout the entire work (the main theme, lasting only eighteen bars, is not for a second inferior to the “battlefield” of another theme), but by the rhythm. The melody is constantly accompanied by a monotonous rhythmic accompaniment supported by a drum. At the same time, note that it does not seem monotonous or mechanical.
No less important than the rhythm in this work is the orchestration. Only four instruments “participate” in the first measures. As the orchestral crescendo builds, more and more instruments appear on the stage. By the end there are already twenty-six of them.
Interesting Facts
By origin, Ravel was partly Swiss, partly Basque, which could not but leave its mark on his music. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and was unsuccessful in the competition for the Prix de Rome five times, but became a leading French composer.
Music for films
In 1934, the huge success of Bolero gave Mitchell Leisen the idea to make a film of the same name with Carole Lombard and George Raft. Since then, Ravel's music has become very popular in cinema. Two relatively recent examples are An American Werewolf in Paris (1997), with Tom Everett Scott and Julie Delpy, which features music from Daphnis and Chloe, and Keeping Up with the Tonenbaums (2001), with Gene Hackman and Anjelica Huston, which uses excerpts Quartet in F major.
Presentation
Included:
1. Presentation, ppsx;
2. Sounds of music:
Ravel. Sentimental Waltz, mp3;
Ravel. " The beauty and the Beast"from the suite" My Mother Goose", mp3;
Ravel. “Sunrise” from the ballet “Daphnis and Chloe”, mp3;
Ravel. Bolero, mp3;
3. Accompanying article, docx.
Slide 2
“Bolero is a Spanish folk dance that originated in Spain at the end of the 18th century.
Slide 3
This bolero is danced to the accompaniment of a guitar and drum, and the dancers themselves beat out additional complex rhythmic figures on castanets, intertwined into an unusually whimsical pattern. From the Encyclopedia of Art
Slide 4
The amazing dynamic power and impetuous impulse of his music shows that Ravel was a perfect master of his art. Emile Wetermose Joseph Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Slide 5
Ravel Maurice Joseph was born on March 7, 1875 in the small French town of Sibourne, near the Spanish border. There is nothing surprising in the Spanish affections of the French composer. After all, his mother Maria Delurgue was Spanish.
Slide 6
Ravel's Russian connections gave an external impetus to the writing of Bolero, since for many years Ravel was associated with figures of Russian culture, especially with the composers who conquered Paris in the early 90s.
Slide 8
"Bolero" by Maurice Ravel is a symphonic hit of the twentieth century. "Bolero" appeared in 1928. Ravel was inspired to write “Bolero” by Ida Rubinstein, a famous Russian ballerina, a student of Mikhail Fokine, the famous Russian innovative choreographer.
Slide 9
Her portrait, painted by Valentin Serov, adorns the art collection of the Russian Museum.
Slide 10
According to the composer's plan, the action was supposed to take place in the open air: against the backdrop of the wall... of a factory building! (the composer has always had a passion for the industrial landscape).
Slide 11
The factory that Ravel imagined in Bolero actually existed and was located not far from the place where the composer purchased a small house near Paris. Walking here with friends, Ravel often said, pointing to this factory: “The factory from Bolero.”
Slide 12
“Bolero” is Ravel’s real composer’s trick: from a charming theme emerges an image of a dance grandiose in scale, in which “the released energy and will of a huge mass of people” is palpable.
Slide 13
It is no coincidence that this music acquired a national-patriotic sound and became a kind of “Spanish Marseillaise” during the Spanish Civil War of 1936.
Slide 14
"Bolero" was a resounding success in Europe. The "Bolero" theme was sung everywhere - in hotel corridors, in the subway, on the street. Truly this is the theme of the century. Every music lover could sing it.
Slide 15
There is also something militant in Ravel’s “Bolero” - in the sound of the snare drums. Drums are the heralds of war.
Ravel Maurice Joseph was born on March 7, 1875 in the small French town of Sibourne, near the Spanish border. There is nothing surprising in the Spanish affections of the French composer. After all, his mother Maria Delurgue was Spanish. Ravel Maurice Joseph was born on March 7, 1875 in the small French town of Sibourne, near the Spanish border. There is nothing surprising in the Spanish affections of the French composer. After all, his mother Maria Delurgue was Spanish.
“Bolero is a Spanish folk dance. Performed at a moderate pace. Bolero is characterized by a series of constantly recurring rhythmic figures. Boleros are danced accompanied by a guitar and a drum, the dancers themselves sing and beat complex triplet rhythms on castanets." From the Encyclopedia of Art
"Bolero" by Maurice Ravel is a symphonic hit of the twentieth century. "Bolero" appeared in 1928. Ravel was inspired to write “Bolero” by Ida Rubinstein, a famous Russian ballerina, a student of Mikhail Fokine, the famous Russian innovative choreographer. "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel is a symphonic hit of the twentieth century. "Bolero" appeared in 1928. Ravel was inspired to write “Bolero” by Ida Rubinstein, a famous Russian ballerina, a student of Mikhail Fokine, the famous Russian innovative choreographer.
According to the composer's plan, the action was supposed to take place in the open air: against the backdrop of the wall... of a factory building! (the composer has always had a passion for the industrial landscape). According to the composer's plan, the action was supposed to take place in the open air: against the backdrop of the wall... of a factory building! (the composer has always had a passion for the industrial landscape).
The factory that Ravel imagined in Bolero actually existed and was located not far from the place where the composer purchased a small house near Paris. Walking here with friends, Ravel often said, pointing to this factory: “The factory from Bolero.” The factory that Ravel imagined in Bolero actually existed and was located not far from the place where the composer purchased a small house near Paris. Walking here with friends, Ravel often said, pointing to this factory: “The factory from Bolero.”
“Bolero” is Ravel’s real composer’s trick: from a charming theme emerges an image of a dance grandiose in scale, in which “the released energy and will of a huge mass of people” is palpable. “Bolero” is Ravel’s real composer’s trick: from a charming theme emerges an image of a dance grandiose in scale, in which “the released energy and will of a huge mass of people” is palpable.
It is no coincidence that this music acquired a national-patriotic sound and became a kind of “Spanish Marseillaise” during the Spanish Civil War of 1936. It is no coincidence that this music acquired a national-patriotic sound and became a kind of “Spanish Marseillaise” during the Spanish Civil War of 1936.
"Bolero" was a resounding success in Europe. The "Bolero" theme was sung everywhere - in hotel corridors, in the subway, on the street. Truly this is the theme of the century. Every music lover could sing it. "Bolero" was a resounding success in Europe. The "Bolero" theme was sung everywhere - in hotel corridors, in the subway, on the street. Truly this is the theme of the century. Every music lover could sing it.
Dance, Ravel, your gigantic dance. Dance, Ravel! Cheer up, Spaniard! Turn, History, the cast millstones, Be a miller in the menacing hour of the surf! Oh, bolero, sacred battle dance! Dance, Ravel, your gigantic dance. Dance, Ravel! Cheer up, Spaniard! Turn, History, the cast millstones, Be a miller in the menacing hour of the surf! Oh, bolero, sacred battle dance! N. Zabolotsky
Lesson 1 2nd quarter.
The integrity of the image of poetry and life.
M. Ravel. Bolero. Folk dance image.
“ Oh bolero
sacred dance of battle!”
"Bolero - spanish folk dance , which originated in Spain at the end of the 18th century.
This bolero is danced to the accompaniment of a guitar and drum, and the dancers themselves beat out additional complex rhythmic figures on castanets, intertwined into an unusually whimsical pattern.
From the Encyclopedia of Art
Joseph Maurice Ravel (Ravel)
(1875-1937)
The amazing dynamic power and impetuous impulse of his music shows that Ravel was a perfect master of his art.
Emil Vetermoz
Ravel Maurice Joseph is born March 7, 1875 in the small French town of Sibourne, near the Spanish border. There is nothing surprising in the Spanish affections of the French composer. After all, his mother Maria Delurgue was Spanish.
This is, first of all, the famous Russian theater figure Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev with his Russian Ballet and Russian Seasons in Paris.
"Bolero" by Maurice Ravel is a symphonic hit of the twentieth century. "Bolero" appeared in 1928 . Ravel was inspired to write Bolero Ida Rubinstein - famous Russian ballerina, student of Mikhail Fokin, the famous Russian innovative choreographer.
But the people live, and their song lives,
Dance, Ravel, your gigantic dance.
Dance, Ravel! Cheer up, Spaniard!
Rotate, History, cast millstones,
Be a miller in the menacing hour of the surf!
Oh, bolero, sacred battle dance!
N. Zabolotsky
- What is the main thing in the music of this work?
- What character? Is he changing or not?
- How many themes are there in the work?
- Which means of musical expression remain unchanged and which ones change? (intonation, tempo, timbre, dynamics, mode, register, rhythm, construction).
Thank you behind attention!
French composer (1875-1937)
There is probably no person in our time who would not be hypnotized by Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero” with its clear, increasing rhythm. This brilliant dance-symphonic work, being a musical symbol of Ravel's work, uniquely illustrates the entire 20th century with its unprecedented technical progress, the rise of scientific thought and many revolutions - social, scientific, technical, cultural, which followed one after another, somewhat reminiscent of music "Bolero".
Maurice Ravel was born on March 7, 1875 in the town of Cibourg, located off the Atlantic coast on the border of France and Spain. His father Pierre Joseph Ravel, a talented engineer and inventor who at one time improved the internal combustion engine, could play the piano remarkably well. Mother Maria Deloire came from an old Basque family and was a fascinating storyteller.
Soon after Maurice's birth, the family moved to Paris, but for Maurice the image of Spain remained inseparable from the image of his mother. Maurice recalled that his father, who was in love with music, “began from an early age to develop... these inclinations and encourage... diligence.” We are talking, of course, about music. From the age of six or seven, Maurice systematically learned to play the piano under the guidance of Henri Guis. Since 1887, the first lessons in harmony, counterpoint and composition were given to Maurice by Charles Rene. When 12-year-old Ravel began composing, his first compositional experiments were variations on a theme by Schumann.
In 1889, Maurice Ravel entered the Paris Conservatory. He studied piano first with S. Antiom, then with S. Berio, a great admirer of Spanish art. His talent as a composer became more and more evident. Ravel’s classmate, the future famous pianist A. Cortot, said: “We reveled between classes by communicating to each other several especially daring bars, knowing in advance that these bars were borrowed from Ravel’s new work.” This shows how Ravel stood out among his fellow students.
While studying composition, Ravel later admitted that he was influenced by E. Satie and E. Chabrier, two then little-known composers, as well as C. Debussy. Composition classes continued until 1905. Maurice was part of a group of peers known as "Apaches" (literally, vagabonds, bandits, or those who struggle with inertia).
Ravel paid special attention to French literature, both classical and modern, as well as impressionist painting, and showed great interest in folklore, French and Spanish. He wrote "The Spanish Rhapsody", which had a major success immediately after the premiere, and a witty humorous opera "L" Heure espagnole ("The Spanish Hour"). Yes, Spanish themes occupied a significant place in the work of Maurice Ravel, but he also took a lot from music Russian composers - A. Borodin, N. Rimsky-Korsakov, M. Mussorgsky. He loved Russian music. Thus, Ravel wrote to the critic J. Marnold: “I think our meeting will not take place tomorrow because of the concert of the Russian choir in the Gaveau Hall... What no matter how they sing (and I guarantee the program will be good), it is always a great pleasure to listen to this magnificent ensemble.” Together with I. Stravinsky, Ravel worked a lot and enthusiastically on the score of “Khovanshchina.”
During the First World War, Ravel tried to volunteer to join the army. Despite the fact that he was rejected by the military commission, he still strived to get to the front. At first he wanted to become a pilot, but doctors did not allow him to fly due to health reasons. Eventually he managed to get a job as an ambulance driver. Only after having frostbitten legs at the front and suffering from severe nervous exhaustion did the composer go to the rear.
The war brought him an increase in spiritual strength, which he longed for. Inspired by what he saw at the front, he later, in 1932, wrote a piano concerto for the left hand, which he composed at the request of the Austrian pianist P. Wittgenstein, who lost his right hand at the front. Ravel dedicated the piano suite “Le tombeau de Couperin” (“The Tomb of Couperin”, 1917) to his friends who died at the front.
In the 20s, Ravel's health deteriorated. He was especially impressed by the death of his mother in 1917. After this sad event, he could no longer live in his parents' Parisian apartment on Rue Carnot. The composer moved a lot - he lived in Switzerland, Spain, France. Finally, with the help of friends, in 1920 he purchased a house 50 kilometers from Paris, in Montfort-l'Amaury. According to contemporaries, this event was very joyful for Ravel. The composer furnished the house in the style of the 30-40s of the 19th century and named it “Belvedere”, which means “beautiful view from above.” According to one of R. Chalu’s contemporaries, Ravel brought home “all his valuable trinkets, which he loved very much and treasured: Chinese figurines, engraved glass, music boxes and - a treasure of treasures - a mechanical bird with multi-colored plumage that chirped masterfully.”
Ravel moved to a new house in 1921, but still often visited Paris, staying up to date with all musical and cultural events. For a production in Paris in 1922, commissioned by the famous Russian conductor and double bassist S. Koussevitzky, he orchestrated “Pictures at an Exhibition” by M. Mussorgsky, a cycle that was originally written for piano. M. Mussorgsky was generally Ravel’s favorite composer, which apparently affected the excellent quality of the orchestration.
In the late 20s and early 30s, Ravel's popularity increased incredibly. The reason for this was “Bolero,” which the composer was required to perform at each concert.
On the crest of success, Ravel toured Europe. The concerts attracted a large number of spectators, and the leading musicians of Europe, as one, gave the highest appreciation to the work of the French composer and performer.
The years passed. Ravel's last creation was "Don Quichotte a Dulcine" ("Three Songs of Don Quixote Dulcine"), which was originally intended for a film about Don Quixote. Chaliapin was supposed to play the main role, but the company that intended to make a film based on this plot went bankrupt. Despite the difficulties, Ravel composed songs in an atmosphere of real creative enthusiasm, probably caused by the fact that he again turned to the Spanish plot and to the theme that warmed him all his life.
In the last years of his life, Maurice Ravel was forced to stop his creative activity due to a severe progressive illness, a brain tumor. Surgery was required, and Ravel agreed to the operation, which he could not endure. The composer died on December 28, 1937.
Being the brightest representative of the world musical culture of the 20th century, Ravel developed Debussy's searches in the field of impressionistic sound painting, extended the tradition of impressionism to music, explored and developed exotic rhythms. Neoclassical tendencies appeared in a number of his works. Ravel's creative discoveries in the field of harmony, rhythm, mode and orchestration led to the birth of new trends in the musical style of the 20th century.
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