RAVEL MAURICE: (1875-1937)

RAVEL MAURICE: (1875-1937)

`I am absolutely unable to play anything… I tried to get back to the piano…

 

 So I give up...´

 

RAVEL MAURICE: (1875-1937) French Composer. An excellent content A.L.S., `Maurice Ravel´, four pages, 8vo, Saint Cloud, 24th May 1919, to Jean Aubry, in French. Ravel refuses the project of the Heure Fantasque and intends to concentrate his time and work on L´Enfant et les Sortilèges, and referring to his health recovery and his piano playing capacities, states in part `Ne comptez pas sur moi comme collaborateur : je recommence à peine à travailler - que c'est difficile de s'y remettre ! - j'ai pour 4 ans de boulot, et il faut que ce soit prêt dans un an!´ (“Don't count on me as a collaborator: I'm just starting to work again - how hard it is to get back to it! - I have 4 years of work, and it has to be ready in a year!”) Ravel further explains that he will accept travelling to England and Holland but with conditions `Si vous pensez que ce soit necessaire, j´irai en Angleterre et en Hollande, mais seulement pour accompagner. Je suis absolument incapable de jouer quoi que ce soit. L'an dernier, j'avais essayé de me remettre au piano. Ça me fatigue horriblement, et je n'y fais aucun progrès. Alors, je laisse tomber…´ (“If you think it is necessary, I will go to England and Holland, but only to accompany. I am absolutely unable to play anything. Last year, I tried to get back to the piano. It tires me horribly, and I'm not making any progress. So I give up...”)

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