Introducing Maurice Ravel’s Famous and Representative Works

Maurice Ravel, one of the most important figures in Impressionist music.

His works are meticulously crafted down to the finest details, grounded firmly in classical forms while blending in Impressionist expression.

As a result, his music has a uniquely singular character that only he could create.

He also arranged works by other composers for orchestra, and his outstanding orchestration earned him the nicknames “genius of orchestration” and “magician of the orchestra.”

In this article, we introduce Ravel’s masterpieces and signature works.

Even if you’re not familiar with classical music, there are pieces you have probably heard somewhere at least once.

Enjoy the many wonderful masterpieces of Ravel!

Playlist

Introducing Maurice Ravel’s Famous and Representative Works
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Mirror No. 4: “The Jester’s Morning Song”Maurice Ravel		The Features and Appeal of Ravel’s “Alborada del gracioso”
2	Sonatina in F-sharp minor, First MovementMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s Sonatine: a fusion of the classical and the modern
3	La ValseMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s fantastical and ominous ballet piece, La Valse
4	SonatinaMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s piano pieces: lyricism and elegance
5	Piano Concerto in G majorMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s Piano Concerto: A Wealth of Varied Charms
6	Pavane for a Dead PrincessMaurice Ravel		By the French composer Maurice Ravel...
7	BoleroMaurice Ravel		Orchestral piece with a constant rhythm and two types of melody
8	Play of WaterMaurice Ravel		A masterpiece that expresses the movement of water through music
9	Ma mère l’OyeMaurice Ravel		An elegant suite inspired by fairy tales
10	Le Tombeau de CouperinMaurice Ravel		A memorial suite for a friend lost in the First World War
11	Rapsodie espagnoleMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s orchestral works influenced by Spanish music
12	Gaspard of the NightMaurice Ravel		A masterful performance of the suite that includes the challenging piece “Scarbo.”
13	String Quartet in F majorMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s String Quartet dedicated to Fauré
14	A noble and sentimental waltzMaurice Ravel		Performance of Ravel’s diverse collection of eight waltzes
15	Scheherazade OvertureMaurice Ravel		The Enchanting Musical World of Scheherazade
16	Piano Concerto for the Left HandMaurice Ravel		Piano Concerto for the Right Hand, a virtuosic masterpiece
17	An old-fashioned minuetMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s immature youthful piano piece
18	Sonatina, Movement II: Mouvement de MenuetMaurice Ravel		The beauty of the second movement of Ravel’s Sonatine
19	Vocalise in Habanera FormMaurice Ravel		Habanera songs influenced by Spain
20	Berceuse on the Name of FauréMaurice Ravel		A chamber work by Ravel in homage to Fauré
21	Song Cycle “Shéhérazade”Maurice Ravel		Ravel’s oriental song cycle, exoticism
22	Daphnis and ChloeMaurice Ravel		Ballet music commissioned by Diaghilev, orchestral version
23	mirrorMaurice Ravel		Maurice Ravel’s piano suite “Miroirs”
24	Sonatine, M. 40: II. Mouvement de MenuetMaurice Ravel		The Appeal of Maurice Ravel's “Sonatine”
25	In the style of Chabrier, M. 63Maurice Ravel		A homage piece to Chabrier by Ravel
26	Gaspard de la nuit, No. 1: OndineMaurice Ravel		Ravel composed a piano piece based on Bertrand’s poetry collection.
27	Suite ‘Mirrors’ No. 4: ‘Alborada del Gracioso’Maurice Ravel		Ravel’s meticulous and flawless piano suite
28	Pavane for a Dead Princess in G majorMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s masterpiece, Pavane for a Dead Princess
29	Sonatine in F-sharp minor, M. 40: II. MenuetMaurice Ravel		The beauty of Ravel’s piano piece “Sonatine”
30	Gaspard of the Night, M. 55: II. The GallowsMaurice Ravel		Composed by Maurice Ravel in 1908...
31	“Ma mère l’Oye” Scene 3: Dialogue of Beauty and the BeastMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s masterpiece that paints a fairy-tale world in sound
32	Minuet on the Name of HaydnMaurice Ravel		Piano Piece for the 100th Anniversary of Haydn’s Birth
33	Sonatina Op. 40, Movement II: MinuetMaurice Ravel		Ravel's Sonatine.
34	Le Tombeau de Couperin, No. 3: ForlaneMaurice Ravel		Maurice Ravel was killed in action in World War I…
35	In the style of ChabrierMaurice Ravel		Maurice Ravel titled it “In the style of …”
36	In the style of BorodinMaurice Ravel		Richard Wagner and Claude Debu...
37	Gaspard de la nuit, No. 3: ScarboMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s formidable piece Scarbo demands expressive power.
38	Daphnis and Chloe, Suite No. 2Maurice Ravel		It is often performed as the free-choice piece in competitions...
39	Children and MagicMaurice Ravel		The opera “L’enfant et les sortilèges,” Ravel’s fantastical work
40	Minuet in C-sharp minorMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s short minuet piece
41	Le Tombeau de Couperin, No. 2: FugueMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s composition: the only fugue in memory of his fallen comrade
42	Grotesque SerenadeMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s passionate masterpiece from his youth
43	ParadeMaurice Ravel		Toshio Horiuchi’s grand, dramatic wind ensemble work
44	Suite ‘Miroirs’ No. 2 – Sad BirdsMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s suite, Scenes of a Lost Bird
45	Suite ‘Miroirs’ No. 4 – Alborada del graciosoMaurice Ravel		A virtuosic suite depicting a jester of the Spanish court
46	Suite ‘Mirrors’ No. 5 – The Valley of the BellsMaurice Ravel		A piece that expresses Ravel’s fantastical bell chimes
47	Noble and Sentimental Waltzes: No. 1, Modéré (Moderato), G majorMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s waltz, a modern and elegant masterpiece
48	Noble and Sentimental Waltzes: Waltz No. 2, Assez lent (fairly slow), G minorMaurice Ravel		Music that peers deep into the heart
49	Noble and Sentimental Waltzes: No. 3 Waltz, Modéré in G majorMaurice Ravel		A beautiful waltz by Ravel, where elegance and sentiment are harmoniously blended.
50	Noble and Sentimental Waltzes, No. 4, Assez animé (fairly lively)Maurice Ravel		Ravel’s Waltz Suite: A Fusion of Tradition and Modernity
51	Noble and Sentimental Waltzes, Waltz No. 5, Presque lent in E majorMaurice Ravel		An introspective piece by Ravel that requires delicate expression
52	Genteel and Sentimental Waltz: No. 6, Vif (Lively)Maurice Ravel		A lively and wide-rangingly expressive waltz composed by Ravel
53	Sonatine in F-sharp minor, M. 40 — I. ModeratoMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s delicately melancholic masterpiece
54	Little Boat on the Ocean from the Suite ‘Mirrors’Maurice Ravel		My heart is cleansed by Ravel’s cool, refreshing piano piece.
55	Toccata from Le Tombeau de CouperinMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s masterpiece commemorating World War I, an innovation in Baroque style
56	Two Hebrew SongsMaurice Ravel		Songbook of Jewish music, mystical melodies
57	When in SpainMaurice Ravel		Recorded at the Paris National Opera in Spanish time
58	TziganeMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s masterpiece depicting the musicality of the Roma
59	piano trioMaurice Ravel		An original suite inspired by the Basque region
60	Sonata for Violin and CelloMaurice Ravel		Hungarian-style sonata, four-movement structure
61	Violin SonataMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s Violin Sonata
62	Introduction and AllegroMaurice Ravel		A chamber music piece that conveys the charm of the harp
63	Sonatina Op. 40, 1st movementMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s Sonatine is a work that fuses classical style with Ravel’s distinctive beauty.
64	Mother Goose Suite, No. 5: The Fairy GardenMaurice Ravel		The Fairy Garden from Ma Mère l’Oye
65	From the suite ‘Ma mère l’Oye’: No. 4, ‘Dialogue of Beauty and the Beast’Maurice Ravel		A masterpiece piano duet themed on Beauty and the Beast
66	Gaspard de la nuit No. 3: ScarboMaurice Ravel		A fast-paced track with a devilish, eerie melody
67	From the suite “Ma mère l’Oye,” No. 3: “Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas”Maurice Ravel		Expressing an Oriental fairy tale of a cursed princess on the piano
68	Suite Ma mère l’Oye, No. 1: Pavane of the Sleeping BeautyMaurice Ravel		An explanation of Ravel’s Ma mère l’Oye
69	Overture “In Spain”Maurice Ravel		Introduce Ravel’s operatic work L’heure espagnole
70	Prelude (I) from Le Tombeau de CouperinMaurice Ravel		The six-piece suite In Memory of the Fallen, Le Tombeau de Couperin
71	Le Tombeau de Couperin No. 4: RigaudonMaurice Ravel		A piece in which Ravel mourned his fallen comrades
72	Le Tombeau de Couperin, No. 5: MenuetMaurice Ravel		Maurice Ravel was killed in action in World War I...
73	Le Tombeau de Couperin, No. 6: ToccataMaurice Ravel		Suite in memory of friends lost in the war, composed by Ravel
74	Sonatina, Movement IIMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s evocative piano suite
75	Ballet music “Daphnis and Chloé” Suite No. 2Maurice Ravel		Composed by the French composer Ravel...
76	From the ballet music Ma mère l’Oye: 5. The Fairy GardenMaurice Ravel		Introduction to the finale 'The Fairy Garden' from Ravel's Ma mère l’Oye
77	PreludeMaurice Ravel		The Conservatoire de Paris’s sight-reading performance exam for pieces has...
78	Boléro with Japanese musical instruments and Nihon buyō (Japanese classical dance)Maurice Ravel		A Boléro masterpiece reinterpreted with traditional Japanese instruments
79	Gaspard de la nuit, No. 3: ScarboMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit is a difficult piece that demands both technique and expressive power.
80	Piano Concerto in D major for the Left HandMaurice Ravel		Pavane for a Dead Princess and Jeux d’eau…
81	String Quartet in F Major, Second MovementMaurice Ravel		Known for works like “Daphnis et Chloé” and “Boléro,” …
82	Suite ‘Mirrors’ No. 3 ‘A Boat on the Ocean’Maurice Ravel		The musical world of Ravel, a master of Impressionism
83	Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty, from the suite Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose), No. 1Maurice Ravel		Composed based on a traditional English nursery rhyme…
84	BoleroMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s masterpiece Boléro by the French composer
85	“Gaspard de la nuit” — “The Gallows”Maurice Ravel		The piano work “Gaspard de la nuit” based on poems by Ravel
86	The Fairy Garden, No. 5 from the suite “Ma mère l’Oye”Maurice Ravel		The beauty of the fairy-tale suite in Ravel’s piano four hands
87	Pavane for a Dead QueenMaurice Ravel		When asked about masterpieces of piano works, many people...
88	Don Quixote, who has set his heart on Princess DulcineaMaurice Ravel		Vocal piece for a film, not used
89	Three SongsMaurice Ravel		A Collection of Unaccompanied Mixed Choir Pieces Composed by Ravel
90	Three Poems by Stéphane MallarméMaurice Ravel		Musical works based on the poems of Mallarmé
91	Song of the People of MadagascarMaurice Ravel		Buddhist song “Three Poems,” singing the anti-colonial spirit