Chapter 67

French Music at the

Time of World War I:

Ravel and Satie

The Life of Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)

• 1875 - born in Ciboure on the Atlantic coast of France just above the Spanish border; grows up in

Paris.

• 1889 - enters preparatory division of the Paris Conservatory focusing on piano.

• 1895 - drops out of the Conservatory and turns to composition.

• 1898 - returns to Conservatory in the composition class of

Gabriel Fauré.

• 1921 - settles in Monfort l’Amaury, a suburb of Paris.

• 1928 - tours the United States and Canada.

• 1937 - dies in Paris.

Maurice Ravel• Though Debussy’s approach to modernism was the most

important direction in French music in the decade prior to World War I– alternative styles are seen in the works of Maurice Ravel

and Erik Satie.

• Ravel begins his composition career as a piano composer under the influence of Debussy– but distances himself from Debussy and finds his own style.

• Ravel creates his own style by adopting a new approach to music of the past, which he draws upon in the manner of parody.

– Example: In his Le tombeau de Couperin: - derives forms and stylistic ideas from Courperin’s Royal Concerts, which he updates with modern harmonies.[this work is an example of Neoclassicism]

Principal Compositions by Maurice Ravel

• Opera and ballet: 2 operas and ballets including– Daphnis et Chloe– La valse– Boléro

• Piano: character pieces, including the cycles – Miroirs– Gaspard de la nuit– Le tombeau de Couperin– Ma mère l’oye (4 hands)

• Orchestra: Piano Concertos and Concerto for Left Hand; character pieces (most are arrangements of works originally for piano, including an arrangement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition)

• Chamber: includes the String Quartet, Sonata for violin and cello and for violin and piano; Piano Trio

Maurice Ravel, Le tombeau de Couperin (piano), 1914–17,

“Rigaudon”Rounded Binary form

The Life of Erik Satie (1866–1925)

• 1866 - born in Honfleur.

• 1878 - enters Paris Conservatory.

• 1880s - pianist at the cabaret, Le Chat Noir, in Montmartre.

• 1905 - returns to school, at the Schola Cantorum in Paris.

• 1911 - serious compositions gain attention thanks

to Ravel.

• 1917 - composes the ballet Parade for Diaghilev.

• 1925 - dies in Paris

Erik Satie’s Music

• Satie’s piano compostions are highly simplified and primitivized in technique.

• Characteristics of his piano compositions are:– puckish in humor

– seem to question the traditional rules of music (i.e. harmonic progressions and the preparation and resolution of dissonances).

• World War I (1914-1918) marks the end of an era of musical history.

Principal Compositions by Erik Satie

• Piano: character pieces

• Songs: include popular cabaret songs; Socrate for

voices and orchestra

• Orchestra: scores for ballets, including Parade