Time Music composed byMaurice Ravel (18751937) RAVEL ...BM = = = = = = = BM = =)
Famous French People Maurice Ravel - Englishwaves.frRavel’s father, Pierre-Joseph Ravel, was as an...
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Famous French People Maurice Ravel © by Robert Shepherd Vocabulary & pronunciation study by Laurent Dufour© Words are explained alongside the text Stressed syllables are underlined and in bold* Hello, you’re listening to Robert Shepherd on EnglishWaves. It’s time for the latest instalment of Famous French and we’re going to focus on someone from the world of classical music. Our latest subject was a 19 th and early 20 th century composer, whose best-known works are Boléro and Daphnis et Chloé. By now you’ve probably guessed it’s Maurice Ravel. He was born on 7 th March 1875 in Ciboure, France. Ravel’s father, Pierre-Joseph Ravel, was as an educated and successful engineer, inventor and manufacturer, born in Versoix near the Franco-Swiss border. Ravel’s mother, Marie, came from a Basque family. Both Ravel's parents were Roman Catholics. At the age of 14, Ravel was admitted to the prestigious music and dance school Paris Conservatoire, and he later studied under the great Gabriel Fauré. Ravel continued to study at the school until his early 20s. During that time he composed some of his most renowned works, such as the Pavane pour une infante défunte, Jeux d'eau and a piece that Ravel dedicated to Fauré called String Quartet in F Major. What’s more, Ravel went on to compose Le Tombeau de Couperin, a suite written for the solo piano, plus the orchestral pieces Rapsodie espagnole and Boléro. His stock rose so high that he was commissioned by Sergey Diaghilev to create the ballet Daphnis et Chloé, which he completed in 1912. In 1920, he completed La Valse, a piece with varying credits as a ballet and concert work. Throughout his life, Ravel declined not only the Légion instalment (n.) episode border (n.) frontier line string quartet (n.) piece of music written for a group of four instruments with strings that play together F = musical note stock (n.) the estimation in which someone is held to complete (vb.) to bring to an end, finish credit (n.) recognition throughout (prep.) through the whole of
Transcript of Famous French People Maurice Ravel - Englishwaves.frRavel’s father, Pierre-Joseph Ravel, was as an...
FamousFrenchPeopleMauriceRavel©byRobertShepherdVocabulary&pronunciationstudybyLaurentDufour©WordsareexplainedalongsidethetextStressedsyllablesareunderlinedandinbold*
Hello,you’relisteningtoRobertShepherdonEnglishWaves.
It’stimeforthelatestinstalmentofFamousFrenchandwe’regoingtofocusonsomeonefromtheworldofclassicalmusic.Ourlatestsubjectwasa19thandearly20thcenturycomposer,whosebest-knownworksareBoléroandDaphnisetChloé.Bynowyou’veprobablyguessedit’sMauriceRavel.
He was born on 7th March 1875 in Ciboure, France. Ravel’sfather,Pierre-JosephRavel,wasasaneducatedandsuccessfulengineer,inventorandmanufacturer,borninVersoixneartheFranco-Swiss border. Ravel’s mother, Marie, came from aBasquefamily.BothRavel'sparentswereRomanCatholics.
Attheageof14,Ravelwasadmittedtotheprestigiousmusicand dance school Paris Conservatoire, and he later studiedunderthegreatGabrielFauré.
Ravel continued to study at the school until his early 20s.During that time he composed some of hismost renownedworks, such as the Pavane pour une infante défunte, Jeuxd'eauandapiecethatRaveldedicatedtoFaurécalledStringQuartet inFMajor.What’smore,RavelwentontocomposeLe Tombeau de Couperin, a suitewritten for the solo piano,plustheorchestralpiecesRapsodieespagnoleandBoléro.
His stock rose so high that hewas commissioned by SergeyDiaghilev to create the ballet Daphnis et Chloé, which hecompletedin1912.
In1920,hecompletedLaValse,apiecewithvaryingcreditsasaballetandconcertwork.
Throughout his life, Ravel declined not only the Légion
instalment(n.)episode
border(n.)frontierline
stringquartet(n.)pieceofmusicwrittenforagroupoffourinstrumentswithstringsthatplaytogether
F=musicalnote
stock(n.)theestimationinwhichsomeoneisheld
tocomplete(vb.)tobringtoanend,finish
credit(n.)recognition
throughout(prep.)throughthewholeof
d'honneurbutallstatehonoursfromFrance,refusingto lethisnamegoforwardforelectiontotheInstitutdeFrance.
However, he wasn’t averse to accepting foreign awards,including honorary membership of the Royal PhilharmonicSociety in1921andanhonorarydoctorate fromtheUniversityofOxfordin1928.
Ravel,whomanyclaimtobeFrance’sbest-lovedcomposer,diedinParison28thDecember,1937.Heisrememberedforstating,"TheonlyloveaffairIhaveeverhadwaswithmusic."
After Ravel's death his brother Edouard, converted thecomposer'shouseatMontfort-l'Amauryintoamuseum,leavingitprettymuchasRavelhadlivedinit.TodaytheMaison-MuséedeMauriceRavelisopentothepublic.
StaytunedtoEnglishWaves.
togoforward(went-gone)(phrasalvb.)tomakeprogress
averse(adj.)opposed
foreign(adj.)comingfromadifferentcountry
award(n.)somethingsuchasprizethatisgiventosomeoneforbeingexcellent
toclaim(vb.)tostatesomethingastrue
*Tip!
Thefollowingwordscontainsilentletters:
forei(g)n,hi(gh),(h)onorary,(h)onour,sto(c)k,throu(gh)out,(w)hole,(w)hose
