I did my work slowly, drop by drop. I tore it out of me by pieces.

At age six Maurice began piano lessons with Henry Ghys and received his first instruction in harmony counterpoint and composition with Charles-René. He died on December 28 at the age of 62 in Paris. With his mother’s death in 1917 his fondest relationship ended and he fell into a “horrible despair” adding to his ill health and the general gloom over the suffering endured by the people of his country during the war.

Along with Claude Debussy he was one of the most prominent figures associated with Impressionist music. According to SACEM Ravel's estate had earned more royalties than that of any other French composer (until that is January 1 2008 when according to the governing copyright laws of most countries around the world including all members of the World Trade Organization[dubious – discuss] Ravel's works fell into the public domain).