The congregation of St. Thomas' Parish is so appreciative of music that it is a true joy to serve as Music Director. On Sunday, July 27, the piano music of Maurice Ravel made a particularly strong impression with many, and so it seems appropriate to share a few details concerning the composer and his music.

I should begin by saying that our Kawai grand piano is a stellar instrument. The silky action and bright tone quality remind me of the Pleyel pianos that I once practiced on in Paris, and so it lends itself favorably to the interpretation of French music. Steinways, by contrast, tend to be darker in tone, and the action heavier.

The Ravel Sonatine pour piano was written between 1903 and 1905, at a time when the composer had returned to classical musical forms. The three movements – Modéré, Mouvement de Menuet, Animé – could have been formulae used by Mozart. The difference, of course, is to be found in lush harmonies and sensual phrases that create an ethereal beauty, almost timeless, and most certainly bewitching.

Recent biographies of Ravel have focused on his sexuality, notably the theory that he was in likelihood gay, though there is scant evidence in letters, or in the diaries of Spanish pianist Ricardo Viñes, to prove what has long been suspected. Viñes premiered several of Ravel's compositions, and remained in the composer's inner circle for over twenty years. It is certain that Ravel dressed in velvet suits and polished shoes. The company he kept, the Ballet Russe, Diaghilev, and the all-male society Les Apaches which met each Saturday, offers further enticing evidence.

Ravel Biographer, Benjamin Ivry, argues that Ravel's hidden homosexuality was central to his life and therefore to his art, that it explains both the aridness of his human relationships and the sensuality of his music.

Whatever the truth may be, Ravel is a personal favorite of mine, and his music has the power to touch the soul.