Great Composers: Maurice Ravel

[@tashaschneider1419]

Ravel is my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE composer, of all time! "Ondine" is chillingly beautiful!

One of my recurring favourites too! His great Daphne et Chloe is a musical treasure

[@charlesdavis7087]

It's one of the few pieces of music that actually scared me. I felt I was being dragged down to the bottom of the ocean. And I was in my forties.

[@calokid]

Mine too!!! Let's all be friends!!! Sorry, I get excited easily...but yeah!

[@bradleypatterson4106]

Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy continue to be my inspiration. He and Debussy are both marvelous examples of individualism. Their refusal to conform to the musical traditions of their time, and fold under the ridicule of their peers and teachers, still inspire musicians and composers alike to seek their own individuality. Ravel’s friends and colleagues would argue over which he was worse at: playing the piano or conducting. Though Ravel was a capable pianist, he himself was not a great pianist or a virtuoso. Nonetheless, pianists still are in awe at the way Ravel’s writing for piano fits their hands perfectly. Not only that, despite the critique of his lack of virtuosity from friends and colleagues, the majority of his piano works are difficult and demand virtuosity. Ravel may not have been a skilled conductor, yet he is held in high regard as a master of orchestration. Ravel once lamented that he was not one of the greats. He stated that the greats produced enormously, and that both good and bad were among their productions. Nonetheless, he stated they still had quantity - something he lamented. Although Ravel’s catalog of works do not measure up to the likes of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc. One can easily say that all of Ravel’s works are known and still performed to this day. Not one composition is bad, and all are intricately written, and are gems of perfection. Ravel is indeed a lesson in quality over quantity.

[@mohhingman]

Ravel is my favourite composer. His harmonic language is so tasty.

[@gemmahudack6182]

Ravel's music is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. I definitely think that Jeux D'eau and Ondine definitely explore the most tonal colors of piano music while not sacrificing a fabulous melody.

[@gigiravel]

Thank you. He is my ancestor 🤗

[@pineapple7024]

@@gigiravel Alright, calm down. Ravel was so shy from women that some historians actually think he’s gay. He’s never had any marriages and his brother also had no children.

[@Arjun-py4ym]

you really thought you could get away with that statement ?? @@gigiravel

[@gigiravel]

@@Arjun-py4ym 🤔🤨😄. Lol

[@fcamiola]

Very nice video - thank you. Ravel is one of my absolute favorite composers - no doubt in the top 5, possibly top 3. Genius!

[@Kos0818]

Who are your other favorites in your top 5?

[@fcamiola]

@@Kos0818 This is a very very difficult question as some composers have slipped in and out of my top 5, but right now (in no particular order) I would go with: Ravel Mahler Sibelius Shostakovich Wagner Very close honorable mentions that would make my top 10-15 would be: Stravinsky Ligeti Debussy Copland Ives Bartok Messiaen Bach Vaughan Williams

[@Grisostomo06]

Thank you for posting this. Everything Ravel composed is gold in my opinion. I often listen to his piano works when I'm hiking. Great choice of background music.

[@harryvandenberg2867]

At that time several composers won the 'Prix de Rome' but their names died, but Ravel never won that price because of the conservativ people of the Paris conservatoir. Later on they saw their mistake and wanted to give him that prise after all, but Ravel refused it. Great!

[@laurenravel4271]

I'm so happy! This just made my day!!! Thank you so much😃😃

[@ClassicalNerd]

You're welcome!

[@SeekerofTruths]

Your last name. Any biological relation to the OG?

[@00bilz]

Boléro is simply unmatched by anyone to this day. I have probably a dozen renditions of it, and I feel like I'm still always finding new things in its hypnotic repetitions.

[@MarkDarnell-cq2wy]

Supposedly. Ravel wrote "Bolero" for a competition. Of all his published work, Bolero was his least favorite.

[@retiredmusiceducator3612]

I introduced the kids to his Bolero today - and so now, as I found this one, this is a good follow-up! Of course, thanks, as always!

[@MikePulcinellaVideo]

Very much enjoy your deep dives into composers

[@pianomanhere]

"Gaspard de la Nuit" was one of the most difficult pieces I ever had to learn. (I think that the "Scarbo" movement gave me temperomandibular joint dysfunction for a while...lol). Also, it was a joy to hear "Gaspard" as the background music in your video. By the way, much of Sorabji's piano music blows the challenges of "Scarbo" right out of the water. Scarbo is not the most difficult piano piece although it IS very very challenging.

[@charlesdavis7087]

Beautifully done! Thank you for your musical insights. Sincerely.

[@benjammin4840]

Awesome summary thank you! I'm going through his works, incredible

[@KuroiPK]

An quite interesting person, I often forget the person behind the work. (I'm probably just way too focus with my and others work that I often forget). I'm really calm that you remind me about it.

[@gigiravel]

I was looking for this . Thank you so much

[@Teddy_Toto]

Wonderful biography! Why are so many of my heroes in music expelled or rejected from the prestigious academies/conservatories of the times?

[@maureenfrechette7448]

genius

[@juliee593]

They break the rules!

[@Musicandcatsmeow]

Love love Ravel ❤️love singing his art songs so so much 🙌 he and Debussy both discovered the gamelan 🌷so happy you talked about all of the amazing composers and musicians

[@gigiravel]

He was amazing. I’m so proud of my ancestry 🤗

[@risboturbide9396]

Great video, man! I'm new to classical music, but glad I've found your channel to binge-hear. Cheers, man! 🍻🍻

[@nihilumaeternum6555]

The backround music was from Ravel, Gaspard de la nuit.

[@georgealderson4424]

Thank you

[@yashbspianoandcompositions1042]

The first movement, Ondine from Gaspard de la nuit

[@nihilumaeternum6555]

@@yashbspianoandcompositions1042 The two following movements also play, although Scarbo not in its full length.

[@wrongdonedoings]

i just found your videos!, and they are so good, new subscriber over here!

[@nickpollockpiano]

good job man! great videos

[@snrnsjd]

Tomorrow will begin our rehearsal with Ravels concert in G major and D major. Folirst time to play these pieces 😏

[@gemmahudack6182]

In my opinion, Bolero is about decay. His brain was decaying and one effect of that is desire to repeat things. And the repetition of Bolero is a culmination of that repition

[@pineapple7024]

No. Well, I like that interpretation of it, but no. It was a challenge to himself to make the most consonant piece of music imaginable, but continue to ramp up intensity through orchestration alone. It is an impressive feat of instrumentation, not something a demented mind could pull off

[@finlybenyunes8385]

"Repition"?

[@HieronymousLex]

It’s more of an exercise. He wasn’t expecting it to be one of his defining works, and it’s sad that it’s what most people think of when they think of Ravel, even though I think it’s a fine piece. It’s just very different than his rest of his pieces and there’s so much beauty to his writing. His final works were incredibly complex

[@Scriabin_fan]

Debussy is my favorite composer, closely followed by Ravel and then Ligeti.

[@starlodear2987]

The late Ken Sasaki (dec. 1991) did the most amazing performance of Gaspards de la Nuit. Unfortunately, this brilliant pianist has fallen into obscurity and there are virtually no recordings of him.

[@jeansimon326]

Thank you so much...your presentations are a great delight!

[@SlyHikari03]

Fun fact: the theme to the original 1986 Zelda game for the NES was inspired by Bolero, it wasn’t even in the public domain yet so Koji Kondo had to write a piece in the same style and tempo.

[@energypucasog9848]

Wow I love your videos, do you have a podcast? You should start one if you do not have one.

[@ClassicalNerd]

I don't-would there be an audience for it?

@@ClassicalNerd maybe an interview series on twitch or soundcloud? I'd follow that for sure!

[@energypucasog9848]

Classical Nerd I personally would enjoy listening to a podcast about composers. I always enjoyed classical music but until I started watching your videos, I really did not know to much about the individual composers themselves. You definitely have something great here!

[@requiemforamerica8432]

Wow i actually thought that the orchestrated version of PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION was the original and the piano version came after - that's incredible.

[@janfigueras5030]

Wow, nice video and explanation! Could you do one about Frederic Mompou?

[@ClassicalNerd]

Duly noted: lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

[@nanajenkins4728]

It would be great if you had to pictures for visual learners

[@ClassicalNerd]

I think you'd like many of my recent videos then!

[@ottokarvonschnallenburg2572]

Learning types are questionable...

[@markowenmartin6760]

Look into the impact on the development of the modern orchestral harp by Ravel and Debussy. Both were at the turning point for the instrument we know today. Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro as well as the odd piece he wrote later for harp, viola and flute changed the instrument forever. Debussy’s Danses sacred et profane was written for the chromatic cross strung harp. At that very moment in time, we decided which direction the instrument should go forward. Ravel wins that one.

[@adriandrake4208]

You are very knowledgeable...I hope you enjoy playing an instrument too.

[@ClassicalNerd]

Thank you! I started as a pianist and have some experience on the organ and various Balinese percussion instruments.

[@achudhkarunakaran1627]

Could you do a video on korsikov?

[@ClassicalNerd]

Do you mean Rimsky-Korsakov? If so, kzbin.info/www/bejne/opmVkKZ8g692j7M

[@mariocervantes3089]

I'm surprised you didn't make any videos on Chopin. Oh and can you make a video about Frederic Chopin?

[@ClassicalNerd]

Absolutely-but given the extant requests (and the fact that I'm planning some really interesting stuff throughout March), it'll have to wait a little bit.

[@antoineminiconi4943]

Great!

[@jgoodwin6901]

You should add some photos/video clips into your video.

[@ClassicalNerd]

I would encourage you to check out more recently produced episodes.

[@samsun216]

I love your channel so so, so much that I somehow strangely feel entitled to beg you not to feel obliged to call French institutions by their proper names. Please forgive me for my bluntness, I just couldn't keep myself from being vocal about it. Your channel is about the only thing I've been watching for days now, thank you for the amazing work!

[@quokka585]

Do you think he used twelve tone scale that schoenberg invented?

[@violante1421]

3:20

[@jairantonio3999]

Why did you change the font for the title and thumbnail 😭😂? I really like the old one

[@ClassicalNerd]

I like the old one as well, but it's rather hard to see in the thumbnails. I'm not thrilled with the new one, but it's at least thumbnail-visible. If I can find a script font that's thumbnail-friendly (and not already universally used), I'll switch to that. Never fear, though-I have several episodes with the old font that are yet pending publication.

[@kofiLjunggren]

What is the outro music?

[@ClassicalNerd]

Music info is always in my video descriptions.

[@retiredmusiceducator3612]

Ok, here ya go... you seem to know all the 'details' of 'inside' stories, there is a youtube of London Symphony Orchestra performing Ravel's Bolero - and the conductor, Valery Gergiev is unshaven and conducts with a toothpick. Is there an 'inside' story to that unique presentation?

[@ClassicalNerd]

I love that performance, but unfortunately, I too am in the dark when it comes to its origins.

[@JasonDomann]

I watch comedians - who I like - and sometimes laugh less than I laugh during your videos.

[@seungvocadooo4665]

it's so fast ncsndjnd maybe its because im not a native english speaker

[@nautika1]

If Hollywood make movie for Moris Ravel omg

[@mikeo.4203]

Who did ravel influence?

[@andrewfortmusic]

Mike O. Whom did he not influence? Every composer after him used his innovations. He also directly influenced all of jazz

[@crabken4969]

Could you do Ginastera

[@ClassicalNerd]

I did Ginastera a long time ago, but that was back when my vision for the channel was to do shorter videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXmXdKCCaMudbpI

[@Honey-oe1so]

Where are your sources?

[@ClassicalNerd]

My primary source was _Ravel: Man and Musician_ by Arbie Orenstein, but-as with many of my videos-I consulted various masters' theses and doctoral dissertations as supplementary material.

[@charlieclark983]

Oh dear. Well, thank you for all this, but, "Le Tombeau de Couperin" is anything but "surprisingly jovial." Listen to it in twenty years.

[@irrationalorator9376]

You forgot to mention he was jewish

[@fredfungalspore]

Gifted people need no schooling it is a Gift

[@FocusMrbjarke]

Not a gift but something they have been working on for decades at for becoming better. It’s not magic but dedication for a long time.

Not true, it's dedication, a will to learn and constant practice is what it takes to become a great musician. Please stop enforcing the myth that talent and "genious" is something you're given at birth. It's simply not true and this mentality enables politicians who want to defund music education to go wild without any pushback...

[@italianorgan3868]

A talented student may be able to learn much faster than the average, but he also has to learn his skills like anyone else. I do agree that very ridgid education can stand in the way of the mind of a genius.