Maurice Ravel

The composer’s remarkable achievement - and elements of his closed private life - are provocatively addressed in this elegantly written study in Reaktion Books’ Critical Lives series . . . one of the most valuable and insightful books on Ravel ever written. -- Barry Forshaw * CD Choice * A concise and very well-written short biography drawing on the best existing sources, while also providing a fresh perspective on Ravel’s life and works . . . an ideal introduction to the man and his music. * Nigel Simeone, author of Olivier Messiaen: Music, Art and Literature * In her engaging biography of this beloved, quintessential French composer, Emily Kilpatrick explains that “language, literature and historical conversation” underpin the thread of her narrative, “for it is here that we find the most revealing intersections of practice and aesthetic – and perhaps, too, the most sustainable accommodations of self and art”. In addition to the excellent, well-researched writing, there are 37 plates containing interesting photographs as well as reproductions of Ravel manuscripts. This impressive achievement is highly recommended. * Arbie Orenstein, American musicologist, pianist and author of Ravel: Man and Musician * An insightful biography of the complex, ever-enigmatic Ravel, which places his life, music and aesthetic in their cultural context. Generous illustrations, including letters and manuscripts, enrich the telling of Ravel’s story. The research is up-to-date, and the writing is scholarly yet accessible. * Deborah Mawer, Emeritus Professor of Music, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, UK *