46 Songs

The melodies of MAURICE RAVEL (1875-1937) span the entire chronology of his creative output, from his earliest song BALLADE DE LA REINE MORTE D`AIMER (1893), written during his student years at the Paris Conservatory, to the cycle DON QUICHOTTE ÀDULCINÉE (1932-33), his last compositions in any genre. In his songs, Ravel’s text settings display a meticulous attention to detail. Ravel´s melodies are elegant and refined, classical in their phrase structure. In his treatment of rhythm, Ravelfinds subtlety within traditional meters, and dance forms-minuet, waltz, folk dances (especially Spanish dance) -also shape the rhythm in many of his songs.