Ravel, who was born in the Basque area of France in 1875, began music instruction at the age of six. He delivered his first public piano recital when he was 14 years old. 'As a child, I was sensitive to music, to all kinds of music,' stated Ravel.¹⁾

Ravel's father, Joseph, was an inventor who created the infamous 'Whirlwind of Death' circus machine. Joseph took his sons to factories to view the latest machinery and instilled a passion of music in them.²⁾

The new music pouring out of Russia, particularly Rimsky- Korsakov's, enthralled the young Maurice Ravel. His father also introduced him to Erik Satie, shown, whose distinct personality and unconventional music had a great influence on Ravel.³⁾

Ravel was a dandy by the age of 20, careful about his attire and behavior. He had been a smoker his entire life and appreciated nice cuisine, exquisite wine, and lively conversation.⁴⁾

Ravel studied composing with his idol, Gabriel Fauré. Ravel had strong feelings about music and performers in general, calling much of Beethoven “exasperating,” Wagner's influence “pernicious,” and Berlioz's harmony “clumsy”. ⁵⁾

Debussy and Ravel were fans of each other's music. Ravel did, however, critique Debussy on occasion, particularly over his orchestration, once declaring, 'If I had the time, I would reorchestrate La Mer'.⁶⁾