A 'mediocrely gifted' composer
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Ravel: 15 facts about the great composer
7. A 'mediocrely gifted' composer
In 1899, Ravel conducted his first orchestral piece, Shéhérazade, and was greeted by a raucous response of boos and applause. One critic described the composer as a ‘mediocrely gifted debutante...who will perhaps become something if not someone in about ten years, if he works hard.’