Penguin Books Australia

A beautifully crafted biography examines both the music and the man.

The music of Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), from the monumental Le Tombeau de Couperin to the rousing Boléro, has maintained its ability to delight throughout the twentieth century. Although brought up in Paris, Ravel's Basque ancestry instilled in him an acute regard for Spain and its music that informed several of his most famous pieces.

Gerald Larner's beautifully crafted biography examines both the music and the man, looking at his emotional preoccupations and their effect on his work. Full of fresh insights, this book will add to our understanding of an intriguingly enigmatic and intensely private composer.