With the premiere in 1908 of Rapsodie Espagnole, Ravel's first entirely orchestral composition, the French composer achieved renown as a highly original and imaginative composer. In 1911, he recast the Mother Goose Suite, his extremely successful music for piano four-hands, as an orchestral work. Based on five fairy tales — among them "Sleeping Beauty," "Tom Thumb," and "Beauty and the Beast" — this collection of children's pieces continues to enchant listeners of all ages with its variety of moods, from jubilation to haunting despair. In 1910, more than a decade after its initial appearance as a piano work, Ravel transcribed his evocative Pavane for a Dead Princess for orchestra. To this day, it continues to be one of his best-known, most frequently performed compositions.
The rich orchestral settings of these three works have made them favorites among concert-goers around the world, ensuring the popularity of this full, authoritative, and inexpensive edition.