Introduction -- Part I : Biography and cultural background -- 1875-1889 : Earliest years and youth -- 1889-1905 : Adolescence and maturity at the Conservatoire -- 1905-1914 : From the Sonatine to the Trio -- 1914-1921 : The war and its aftermath -- 1921-1928 : New trends in the 1920s -- 1928-1937 : Concluding years -- Epilogue : a portrait of the man -- Part II : The art of Maurice Ravel -- Musical aesthetics -- Ravel's musical language -- The creative process -- Conclusion -- Appendix A : Catalogue of works -- Appendix B : Historical recordings (1912-1939), compiled by Jean Touzelet.