Maurice Ravel

Ma mère l'Oye

The suite Ma mère l’Oye was composed by Maurice Ravel for piano four hands in 1908–1910. For these "cinq pièces enfantines" [five children’s pieces], the composer drew inspiration from the tales of three famous authors: Charles Perrault (1628–1703), Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville (1652–1705), and Madame Leprince de Beaumont (1711–1776). The transcription for solo piano was written by Jacques Charlot (1885–1915) in 1910, the same year that the score for piano four hands was published. The world of childhood inspired Ravel on several occasions: the only poem he ever wrote himself to set to music was called Le Noël des Jouets [The Toys’ Christmas], and his heightened sense of childhood and enchantment found full expression in L'Enfant et les Sortilèges (1919–1925).