The French Impressionist, Ravel (1875~1937),
composed this master piece at age 24. Pavane
is a style of court-dance music which was developed
during the Renaissance Era.
According to Ravel himself the piece is not
meant to be elegiac, but somewhat nostalgic
in character: "It's not a funeral lament
for a dead child, but rather an evocation of
the Pavane which might have been danced by such
a little princess(Princess Margarita) as painted
by Velazquez at the Spanish court ." Ravel
chose the title because he liked the sound of
the words in the French language - Pavane
pour une Infante défunte. Also,
it was dedicated to the Princess Edmond de Polignac,
a great patroness of the arts.
What kind of woman was Princess Margarita?
In the 16th century, Margarita, a daughter of
Philip IV, King of Spain, became engaged to
her uncle Leopold I in Vienna to further the
political aspirations of her parents. The beautiful
portraits of her, done at various stages of
growing up, were used to keep her fiance apprised
of her blossoming beauty. They also serve as
a sort of childhood photo album.
Margarita married Leopold I when she was 14
years old. In spite of the age difference between
the the two --and Leopold's rather atrocious
looks-- they became a loving couple. They shared
many interests, art and music among them, and
were often seen enjoying the opera together.
Tragically, due to complications related to
child birth, Margarita died at the tender age
of 22.
----Here's the CD I recommend-----
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Musical
Inspiration 
