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Ravel

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An inventive father

This image appears in the gallery:
Ravel: 15 facts about the great composer

Joseph Ravel composer father

2. An inventive father

Ravel’s father Joseph was an inventor, responsible for a notorious ‘Whirlwind of Death’ circus machine. Joseph took his sons to factories to see the latest machinery and instilled in them a love of music.

  1. Image 1: Maurice Ravel composer
  2. Image 2: Joseph Ravel composer father
  3. Image 3: Erik Satie composer
  4. Image 4: Maurice Ravel
  5. Image 5: Gabriel Faure
  6. Image 6: Claude Debussy
  7. Image 7: Sheherezade
  8. Image 8: Mussorgsky Pictures Exhibition Ravel Kiev
  9. Image 9: Nijinsky Ravel
  10. Image 10: Velazquez 15 images

See the full gallery: Ravel: 15 facts about the great composer

Ravel features

See more Ravel features

What’s the story behind Ravel’s ‘Boléro’, and why is it so controversial?

What’s the story behind Ravel’s ‘Boléro’, and why is it so controversial?

Maurice Ravel is one of the greatest French composers who ever lived.

The 10 best pieces of music by Ravel

Hayato Sumino plays Bolero on two pianos.

Viral virtuoso Hayato Sumino plays Boléro on two pianos

Mozart and Elgar both loved their pets.

8 classical composers who absolutely adored their pets

Discover Music

Harpist Catrin Finch and Debussy

10 best pieces ever written for the harp

Discover Music

Ravel was the only composer of ‘Boléro’, court rules after six-year co-writer dispute

Ravel was the only composer of ‘Boléro’, court rules after six-year co-writer dispute

How Kris Bowers created ‘the Bridgerton sound’ – from hip-hop beats to Ravel inspiration

How Kris Bowers created ‘the Bridgerton sound’ – from hip-hop beats to Ravel inspiration

Discover Music

When Torvill and Dean won gold with timeless ‘Boléro’ routine at 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics

Remembering Torvill and Dean’s timeless ‘Boléro’ figure-skating routine at the 1984 Winter Olympics

Latest on Classic FM

Girl revising and piano keys

10 pieces of classical music to help ease exam stress

Discover Music

Scientific reconstruction reveals Beethoven’s ‘true’ face 200 years after his death

Scientific reconstruction reveals Beethoven’s ‘true’ face 200 years after his death

Beethoven

The Phoenician Scheme: Wes Anderson’s ingenious use of Stravinsky and other classical music

New Wes Anderson film ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ is scored with Stravinsky’s music

Hundreds of musicians protest Cardiff University’s proposed music school closure

Cardiff University scraps plans to axe music department

The Piano Boat comes to Britain's canals

Floating piano boat named ‘Rachmaninov’ to return to London’s canals

Diana wins 'The Piano' with performance of 'Dreams' at Newcastle concert hall

87-year-old fulfils ‘lifelong dream’ of becoming a concert pianist in tear-jerking The Piano finale

Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman in 2009

Who were the Sherman Brothers, Hollywood’s most prolific musical duo?

Discover Music

When Tom Cruise came on set, Simon Pegg and ‘The Final Reckoning’ cast had the Mission Impossible theme in their head

Simon Pegg: ‘We sang the Mission Impossible theme a lot in the cast. Whenever Tom walks on set!’

Discover Music

UK’s only string instrument-making degree set to close

UK’s last surviving string instrument-making degree set to close

Curious baby boy playing toy piano at home

Does classical music really make babies smarter?

Discover Music

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