Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, masterful orchestration, richly evocative harmonies and inventive instrumental textures and effects. Along with Claude Debussy, he was one of the most prominent figures associated with Impressionist music. Much of his piano music, chamber music, vocal music and orchestral music is part of the standard concert repertoire. Ravel's piano compositions, such as
Jeux d'eau,
Miroirs,
Le tombeau de Couperin and
Gaspard de la nuit, demand considerable virtuosity from the performer, and his mastery of orchestration is particularly evident in such works as
Rapsodie espagnole,
Daphnis et Chloé and his arrangement of Modest Mussorgsky's
Pictures at an Exhibition. Ravel is perhaps known best for his orchestral work
Boléro, which he once described as "a piece for orchestra without music". According to SACEM, Ravel's estate had earned more royalties than that of any other French composer.