What a gorgeous piece. MR is also one of my favourites, but I had never heard this. Just listening again for a second time! How fascinating that he met Gershwin.
I love this composer. Coincidentally I'm just putting the finishing touches to a short article on one of the movements from "Miroirs". He was a genius IMHO.
Thanks Michael. I really enjoyed the words, the music and the artwork as usual. 💙
Thanks, Jules — I'm so glad I could provide your introduction to this work! 💙 Genius, indeed — Ravel was such a skilled engineer with the orchestra. Stravinsky once ribbed him, saying he was "the most perfect of Swiss watchmakers." Little did he know, Ravel's great-grandfather was, in fact, a Swiss clockmaker, and his father was an inventor. Engineering was in the family blood.
I *love* the Miroirs. While researching this essay, I came across an orchestral version of the "Vallée des cloches" by Percy Grainger that I had never heard before. The use of all kinds of orchestral bells is brilliant. Enjoy!
Thank you for that clip - absolutely dreamy. It’s such an exquisite movement, however it’s arranged.
Naughty Stravinsky! I am convinced that Ravel’s ethnic makeup can be heard in his music - the warmth of Spain and the cool of Switzerland - but that’s probably just my imagination running away with me. I find his music captivating that’s for sure.
Well, if any composer encourages us to let our imagination roam free, it's Ravel! (But I hear the same delightful contrast in how he incorporates both sides of his heritage into his music — with plenty of room leftover to bask in Parisian elegance.) 💙
I’m sitting here in awe! I wasn’t familiar with this either so imagine my surprise going in “blind” (I scroll all the way to the bottom of your essay to listen before reading) and reach the 3:00 mark as the movement opens up and the colors shift again and again 4:40, 5:20, to the climax around 6:00, the absolutely gorgeous dissonance at 6:30. It reminded me of walking a trail, beautiful in its simplicity, only to stumble upon an epic unexpected vista! But at 8:15, it’s time to turn and head for home. Wow!! But THEN I read your heartfelt essay about your own experience and soul-shift from Mahler to Ravel and all sorts of new imagery simmers as I listen to the movement a second time. Well now imagine my surprise again when I listen to the first movement!! Magnificent! I can’t do it justice with my mediocre vocab but I’ve never heard anything like it.. like a Gershwin Copland mashup from another dimension. At 2:00… I just love that atmosphere!! The piece is the embodiment of both the tight urban bustle and rolling rural landscapes of America, right down to what sounds like either a train whistle or brake screech at 5:11.
Whew!! Thank you for taking me out of the Morning News today. 🥰 And happy two years!! 🎉🎉 I can’t believe it! We’re all so lucky to have your sumptuous compositions. Thank you for all of your hard work to recapture these classics for us! 💙
I love this beautiful journey of discovery you've mapped out here, Katie! You've highlighted so many favorite moments — the entrance of woodwind voices at 3:00 is without doubt one of my favorite moments in all of music, a slow blossoming of the heart rendered in sound.
I'm glad your time here was a reprieve from the grim news of the day. I've been incredibly fortunate over the past two years to have my SOB work provide an escape hatch to a place of beauty and possibility. Thank you for being here for every moment — your constant support and engagement continue to inspire my work here! 💙
It really does help to have a creative outlet. Once we’re done with this move, I’ll finally have my life back!! I’m so excited for a quieter slower pace so I can get my groove back.
Oh!! I tried to buy you some coffees but I’m not sure it’s working! I tried my Apple Pay a couple times then my CC. Maybe I’m the problem? 😂 Let me know if you see anything amiss on your end!
Can't wait to consume what you create once settled and back at it! 💙
I received a few donations on BMAC since this essay went live, so perhaps the service was just temporarily down when you tried to process? Either way, thanks for your attempted contribution! 🤣
Michael, I note that your wonderful writing about music and sharing all the ideas that you have around music it's now reaching ,700 people in 80 countries.
Why are we not surprised.!
Your latest piece on Maurice Ravel is, for me, a special reason to give thanks for all you do because he is a favourite composer of mine
..in fact the 2nd movement of that piano concerto is certainly one that I want played at my funeral! Best plan ahead and make people clear on what my music choices are when I pass!
Anyway again thank you so much warmest wishes. Here's a link to a piece I wrote on Ravel sometime back
Thank you, Tim — I'm so touched by your comment. Your support of Shades of Blue means a lot, and has inspired me to keep on going for two years (and counting)!
I share your vision when it comes to funeral programming — think of all the solace this movement of Ravel would bring. And in keeping with the spirit of this essay, I'd have to pair it at my service with Mahler's "Urlicht." 😃
Thanks for linking to your delightful tribute to this work. I love this line: "The wonderful thing about ‘favourite’ music is that you keep discovering new aspects to the music and the person who composed it." It's so true — part of what I love about my relationship to music is the curiosity it provokes to know more, and how it grows alongside us on an emotional level.
Wishing you a wonderful start to your summer in Wiltshire! 💙
Michael, thank you so much for your response to my note. It is very kind of you. And I continue and will continue to enjoy your marvellous writing on Substack. Warmest wishes Tim.
What a gorgeous piece. MR is also one of my favourites, but I had never heard this. Just listening again for a second time! How fascinating that he met Gershwin.
I love this composer. Coincidentally I'm just putting the finishing touches to a short article on one of the movements from "Miroirs". He was a genius IMHO.
Thanks Michael. I really enjoyed the words, the music and the artwork as usual. 💙
Thanks, Jules — I'm so glad I could provide your introduction to this work! 💙 Genius, indeed — Ravel was such a skilled engineer with the orchestra. Stravinsky once ribbed him, saying he was "the most perfect of Swiss watchmakers." Little did he know, Ravel's great-grandfather was, in fact, a Swiss clockmaker, and his father was an inventor. Engineering was in the family blood.
I *love* the Miroirs. While researching this essay, I came across an orchestral version of the "Vallée des cloches" by Percy Grainger that I had never heard before. The use of all kinds of orchestral bells is brilliant. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf7Ae082aJU
Thank you for that clip - absolutely dreamy. It’s such an exquisite movement, however it’s arranged.
Naughty Stravinsky! I am convinced that Ravel’s ethnic makeup can be heard in his music - the warmth of Spain and the cool of Switzerland - but that’s probably just my imagination running away with me. I find his music captivating that’s for sure.
Well, if any composer encourages us to let our imagination roam free, it's Ravel! (But I hear the same delightful contrast in how he incorporates both sides of his heritage into his music — with plenty of room leftover to bask in Parisian elegance.) 💙
Yes, always remembering he was French! 😊
Ravel and Gershwin, listening together to Duke Ellington's Orchestra: how I wish I were there!
Right?! Oh, to have been a fly on the walls of the Cotton Club that night. 💙
Yes me too!
I’m sitting here in awe! I wasn’t familiar with this either so imagine my surprise going in “blind” (I scroll all the way to the bottom of your essay to listen before reading) and reach the 3:00 mark as the movement opens up and the colors shift again and again 4:40, 5:20, to the climax around 6:00, the absolutely gorgeous dissonance at 6:30. It reminded me of walking a trail, beautiful in its simplicity, only to stumble upon an epic unexpected vista! But at 8:15, it’s time to turn and head for home. Wow!! But THEN I read your heartfelt essay about your own experience and soul-shift from Mahler to Ravel and all sorts of new imagery simmers as I listen to the movement a second time. Well now imagine my surprise again when I listen to the first movement!! Magnificent! I can’t do it justice with my mediocre vocab but I’ve never heard anything like it.. like a Gershwin Copland mashup from another dimension. At 2:00… I just love that atmosphere!! The piece is the embodiment of both the tight urban bustle and rolling rural landscapes of America, right down to what sounds like either a train whistle or brake screech at 5:11.
Whew!! Thank you for taking me out of the Morning News today. 🥰 And happy two years!! 🎉🎉 I can’t believe it! We’re all so lucky to have your sumptuous compositions. Thank you for all of your hard work to recapture these classics for us! 💙
I love this beautiful journey of discovery you've mapped out here, Katie! You've highlighted so many favorite moments — the entrance of woodwind voices at 3:00 is without doubt one of my favorite moments in all of music, a slow blossoming of the heart rendered in sound.
I'm glad your time here was a reprieve from the grim news of the day. I've been incredibly fortunate over the past two years to have my SOB work provide an escape hatch to a place of beauty and possibility. Thank you for being here for every moment — your constant support and engagement continue to inspire my work here! 💙
It really does help to have a creative outlet. Once we’re done with this move, I’ll finally have my life back!! I’m so excited for a quieter slower pace so I can get my groove back.
Oh!! I tried to buy you some coffees but I’m not sure it’s working! I tried my Apple Pay a couple times then my CC. Maybe I’m the problem? 😂 Let me know if you see anything amiss on your end!
Can't wait to consume what you create once settled and back at it! 💙
I received a few donations on BMAC since this essay went live, so perhaps the service was just temporarily down when you tried to process? Either way, thanks for your attempted contribution! 🤣
I decided to try my laptop instead of phone and worked like a charm!! 🎉🎉
Sooooo beautiful!
Glad you enjoyed, Anne! 💙
Michael, I note that your wonderful writing about music and sharing all the ideas that you have around music it's now reaching ,700 people in 80 countries.
Why are we not surprised.!
Your latest piece on Maurice Ravel is, for me, a special reason to give thanks for all you do because he is a favourite composer of mine
..in fact the 2nd movement of that piano concerto is certainly one that I want played at my funeral! Best plan ahead and make people clear on what my music choices are when I pass!
Anyway again thank you so much warmest wishes. Here's a link to a piece I wrote on Ravel sometime back
Tim Baynes. Wiltshire UK
https://timbaynespainterandwriter.substack.com/p/maurice-ravel?utm_source=publication-search
Thank you, Tim — I'm so touched by your comment. Your support of Shades of Blue means a lot, and has inspired me to keep on going for two years (and counting)!
I share your vision when it comes to funeral programming — think of all the solace this movement of Ravel would bring. And in keeping with the spirit of this essay, I'd have to pair it at my service with Mahler's "Urlicht." 😃
Thanks for linking to your delightful tribute to this work. I love this line: "The wonderful thing about ‘favourite’ music is that you keep discovering new aspects to the music and the person who composed it." It's so true — part of what I love about my relationship to music is the curiosity it provokes to know more, and how it grows alongside us on an emotional level.
Wishing you a wonderful start to your summer in Wiltshire! 💙
Michael, thank you so much for your response to my note. It is very kind of you. And I continue and will continue to enjoy your marvellous writing on Substack. Warmest wishes Tim.