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Review - Maurice Ravel (by Emily Kilpatrick)

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 15

‘...in meticulous, elegant prose ... it packs a great deal of thought and information into a relatively short space, and often encourages us to think afresh about its subject.’
@reaktionbooks.bsky.social www.gramophone.co.uk/review/artic...

‘This is a portrait of a man who remained aloof and apart from a musical establishment that treated him warily almost from the beginning’

www.gramophone.co.uk

reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/maurice... @reaktionbooks.bsky.social

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 15

Nice review in Gramophone of my #Ravel biography: ‘Affecting in her examination of Ravel’s life – her account of his final illness is astonishingly moving – Kilpatrick’s discussions of the music are, in contrast, succinct, cool and finely judged…’

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Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 9

Maurice Ravel is one of the twentieth century’s most intriguing and contradictory composers. This timely new biography – published for the 150th anniversary of his birth – describes Ravel’s journey fr...

'We have to let him know we're here': on writing a life for Maurice Ravel

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 9

'We have to let him know we're here': a little essay on why writing Ravel's biography felt like a homecoming. emilykilpatrick.substack.com/p/we-have-to...

This book began twenty-one years and half my life ago.

emilykilpatrick.substack.com

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Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

The book is published today, and you can find it here: reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/maurice... @reaktionbooks.bsky.social

Maurice Ravel is one of the twentieth century’s most intriguing and contradictory composers. This timely new biography – published for the 150th anniversary of his birth – describes Ravel’s journey fr...

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

Claude was funny, earthy, generous, passionately devoted to Ravel, passionately knowledgeable. If this book has one aim, it is that it might make this most entrancing, most enigmatic of composers feel alive for its readers, as Claude brought him to life for me.

Maurice Ravel - 3 brief silent films

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

At Le Belvédère Ravel wasn’t an icon but a presence, fallible, exasperating and comical; spoken of not just with reverence but with affection, with humour and the occasional eyeroll. www.youtube.com/watch?v=j93G...

YouTube video by caramelorb

www.youtube.com

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

As part of the renovations the door to the tiny steep staircase to the garden needed replacing, so Claude took the old one home with her, mounted it on her wall and behind it painted a trompe d’oeïl image of the descending stair. She was certain Ravel would have approved of this.

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

And every day, I worked alongside the marvellous curator Claude Moreau. Claude changed my life. ‘Bonjour petit Maurice!’, she would call every morning as she unlocked the doors and opened the shutters (‘I have to let him know we’re here’).

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

That summer, I learned Miroirs at #Ravel's piano, I sat on his balcony and talked to people – visitors, and some older residents who could just remember calling ‘Bonjour Monsieur Ravel!’ when they saw him working in his garden.

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

And this adorable and very badly photographed postcard: 'Monsieur Ravel', it says, 'Merci mon grand ami / Gisele'. I still have my own letter from Gisele, the daughter of Ravel's house editor: she wrote of her memories of Ravel playing with her, and his love for bloody steak.

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

The door concealing the 'cagibi', the small storeroom.

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

This sailing ship, afloat on a papier-mache sea

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

This rather beautiful joke teacup with a hole in it.

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

I loved this tiny nightingale, which, when wound, sings with astonishing sweetness.

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

So I spent the summer scrubbing #Ravel’s floors (and his toilet), putting his books back on his shelves, his knickknacks on his piano, his glasses on their stand in the music room.

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

To my lasting astonishment, a fax came back, inviting me to spend a summer assisting in the renovations and then conducting some of the tours.

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

I was fortunate beyond measure to spend a summer working here in 2004, having optimistically sent a fax (!) to the Fondation #Ravel asking if they had any work for a young Australian with high-school French.

reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/maurice...

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jul 1

My #Ravel biography is published today by
@reaktionbooks ! This book began here, more than twenty years ago: at Le Belvédère, Ravel’s home from 1921 until his death.

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Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jun 27

Maurice Ravel is one of the twentieth century’s most intriguing and contradictory composers. This timely new biography – published for the 150th anniversary of his birth – describes Ravel’s journey fr...

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Jun 27

I wrote a book! It's the story of the most entrancing of French composers, and it's published on Monday. I am informed by my nine-year-old that it is a 'very small book'. This means that it is also portable and inexpensive and is therefore perfect summer reading. Get to it (link follows...)!

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Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Mar 7

My biography of #Ravel will be published shortly by
@reaktionbooks.bsky.social, and is available for pre-order now! #Ravel150 reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/maurice-ravel

Maurice Ravel is one of the twentieth century’s most intriguing and contradictory composers. This timely new biography – published for the 150th anniversary of his birth – describes Ravel’s journey fr...

YouTube video by BBC Radio 3

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Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Mar 7

So happy birthday #Ravel, and thankyou. #Ravel150 www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEES...

Happy Birthday Ravel

www.youtube.com

Emily Kilpatrick @ekilpatrick.bsky.social · Mar 7

62. Late in life Ravel reflected, ‘My object . . . is technical perfection. I can strive unceasingly towards this end, as I am certain that I will never attain it. The important thing is to get closer all the time.’ #Ravel150