The following list includes the principal published works in the medical and psychological literature which have considered aspects of Ravel's medical history. It complements the page of commentary on Ravel's health. General works can be found in the main bibliography.
[1948]
ALAJOUANINE, Théophile. Aphasia and artistic realization.
Brain, v.71 (1948) pp.229-241.
Abstract: "The question is what happens to productive literary, musical, or pictorial
activity after the onset of aphasia. Three cases are considered: the poet
Charles Baudelaire; the musician Maurice Ravel; an unnamed artist of the French
contemporary school. Aphasia destroyed literary language in the writer, it
stopped sound expression in the musician, but leaves untouched plastic or
figurated realization."
[1975]
KERNER, D. Ravels Tod. Zu seinem 100. Geburtstag am 7. Marz 1975.
[The death of Ravel].
MMW Münchener medizinische Wochenschrift, 117(14) (1975, Apr 4) pp.591-6.
Abstract: "The composer Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was chronically ill during the last
five years of his life. He was suffering from Pick's astrophy, the first
signs of which appeared in 1923 and 1927 and which were probably already
reflected in the stereotypy of the "Bolero" of 1928. Transient apractic
symptoms were prominent, later, difficulty in finding words, agraphia and
alexia. Ravel left no completed composition after an accident to the head
in 1932. Complete apathy and involutional phenomena characterize the
period before the death of the master, who passed away a few days after a
surgical operation on the brain."
[1976]
CYTOWIC, R. E. Aphasia in Maurice Ravel.
Bulletin of the Los Angeles Neurological Society, v.41(3) (1976, Jul) pp.109-14.
Abstract: "A selective loss of language resulting from left hemisphere cerebral
lesions is familiar to all neurologists but only rarely does such a
deficit allow preexisting extraordinary capabilities of the right
hemisphere to emerge. A retrospective case history of French composer
Maurice Ravel demonstrates such a right-sided cognitive system. At 58,
Ravel was struck with aphasia, which quelled any further artistic output.
Most strikingly, he was able to think musically but unable to express his
ideas in either writing or performance. Hemispheric lateralization for
verbal (linguistic) and musical thinking offers an explanation for the
dissociation of Ravel's ability to conceive and to create. What makes
Ravel's history interesting to the public as well as to physicians is not
only the tragic toll exacted in this composer's personal and creative life
but also the resultant loss of the output of one of the 20th century's
towering musical geniuses."
[1984]
DALESSIO, D. J. Maurice Ravel and Alzheimer's disease.
Journal of the American Medical Association, v.252(24) (1984, Dec 28) pp.3412-3.
[1985]
Maurice Ravel and Alzheimer's disease. [Letter.]
Journal of the American Medical Association, v.253(20) (1985, May 24-31) pp.2961-2.
[1987]
TEPLY, I. Maurice Ravel a Pickova choroba. [Maurice Ravel and Pick's disease]
Ceskoslovenska neurologie a neurochirurgie, 50(6) (1987, Nov.) pp.412-5.
[1988]
HENSON, R. Maurice Ravel's illness: a tragedy of lost creativity.
British Medical Journal (Clin Res Ed), v.296(6636) (1988, Jun 4) pp.1585-8.
Abstract: "Maurice Ravel had been subject to psychiatric disorder for many years when
signs of organic brain disease appeared at the age of 52. Aphasia,
apraxia, agraphia, and alexia became established some five years later.
Musical creativity was lost. Alajouanine diagnosed cerebral atrophy with
bilateral ventricular enlargement. Though Ravel's condition deteriorated
progressively, generalised dementia was not apparent. He died in December
1937, after a craniotomy performed by Clovis Vincent, possibly from a
subdural haematoma. Vincent's operative findings are described here. The
likely cause of Ravel's illness was a restricted form of cerebral
degeneration."
MAHIEUX, F.; LAURENT, A. Les dernieres annees de Maurice Ravel:
hypothese diagnostique.
Encyclopédie Médico-Chirurgicale; (pp.23-24). Paris, 1988.
[1991]
MERCIER, B. Biographie Médicale de Maurice Ravel.
MD Thesis. Medical Faculty of Bobigny, University of Paris, Paris, 1991.
[1993]
SERGENT, Justine. Music, the brain and Ravel.
Trends in Neurosciences, v.16(5) (1993, May) pp.168-172
Abstract: "Clarifying the relationships between music and the brain is a legitimate
goal of neuroscientific research. One approach toward this goal is based on new
developments of brain imaging techniques. Recent investigations indicate that
the realization of musical abilities such as sight-reading and piano
performance relies on a distributed neural network comprising locally
specialized cortical areas. Another approach is concerned with the study of
musicians, like Maurice Ravel, who was brain damaged. An analysis of their
deficits uncovers some properties of music-brain relationships, to identify the
essential questions raised by these deficits, and to clarify the
neurofunctional anatomy of musical abilities. Recent progress in cognitive and
neurofunctional research opens the way to more systematic studies than had so
far been possible."
SERGENT, Justine. De la musique au cerveau par l'intermediaire de Maurice Ravel.
Medecine/Sciences, Vol.9 (1993) pp.50-58 .
[1996]
BAECK, Erik. Was Maurice Ravel's illness a corticobasal degeneration?
Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, v.98(1) (1996, Feb) pp.57-61
Abstract: "Reviews the final few years of the French composer Maurice Ravel
(1875-1937), who was struck down at the peak of his career by an aphasia and apraxia
that destroyed his artistic realization but preserved his musical sensibility
and judgment. He died after craniotomy. Multiple hypotheses have been
formulated to explain the exact nature of his illness, which was probably
corticobasal degeneration. However, in the absence of a postmortem examination,
the diagnosis must remain speculative, despite the accurate descriptions of the
symptoms in numerous biographies, neuropsychological notes, and operative
findings of his surgeon. The relation between music and the brain is discussed."
[1997]
BAECK, Erik. La mort de Maurice Ravel.
Revue Belge de Musicologie, v.51 (1997) pp.187-193.
Abstract: Discusses the circumstances surrounding
the death of Maurice Ravel in December 1937.
Traces the events related to Ravel's diagnoses, the
composer's attitude towards proposed surgery, the date
of the surgery, and the length of the recovery period.
Explains why the results of the autopsy still remain a
subject of speculation.
CYBULSKA, E. Bolero unravelled. A case of musical perseveration.
Psychiatric Bulletin, v.21 (1997) pp.576-577
[1998]
BAECK, Erik. La maladie neurologique de Maurice Ravel.
Histoire des Sciences Médicales, v.32 (1998) pp.123-128.
[1999]
ALONSO, R.J.; PASCUZZI, R. M. Ravel's neurological illness.
Seminars in Neurology, v.19 Suppl 1 (1999) pp.53-7.
Abstract: "In the last 10 years of his life, Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) experienced a
gradually progressive decline in neurological function. Dr. Alajouanine
examined Ravel, noting the presence of aphasia and apraxia with relative
preservation of comprehension and memory. The exact diagnosis remains
unclear, but the likelihood of a progressive degenerative disorder, such
as frontotemporal dementia, is herein discussed."
DUBB, A. Musician's maladies--of what did they die? Maurice Ravel (1872-1937).
Adler Museum Bulletin, v.25(2) (1999, Jul) pp.25-6.
[2000]
WEINSTEIN, L. Ravel's Brain.
Toronto, Paris: Rhombus Media and Ideal Audience, 2000.
[2001]
BAECK, Erik. Casuspositic met kritische analyse van Maurice Ravel's
neurologische ziekte. [Case presentation with critical analysis of
Maurice Ravel's neurological disease].
Verhandelingen / Koninklijke Academie voor Geneeskunde van Belgie,
v.63 (2001) pp.543-560.
[2002]
AMADUCCI, L.; GRASSI, E.; BOLLER, Francois. Maurice Ravel and right-hemisphere
musical creativity: Influence of disease on his last musical works?
European Journal of Neurology, v.9(1) (2002, Jan) pp.75-82
Abstract: "It is sometimes thought that language and music are two sides of the same
intellectual coin, but research on brain-damaged patients has shown that the
loss of verbal functions (aphasia) is not necessarily accompanied by a loss of
musical abilities (amusia). Amusia without aphasia has also been described.
This double dissociation indicates functional autonomy in these mental
processes. Yet verbal and musical impairments often occur together. An
illustration of these concepts is provided by the case of the French composer
Maurice Ravel, who suffered from a progressive cerebral disease of uncertain
aetiology, with prominent involvement of the left hemisphere. As a result,
Ravel experienced aphasia and apraxia and became unable to compose. The
available facts favour a clinical diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia
(PPA), with the possibility of an overlap with corticobasal degeneration (CBD).
In view of Ravels clinical history, we propose that two of his final
compositions, the Bolero and the Concerto for the Left Hand, include certain
patterns characteristic of right-hemisphere musical abilities and may show the
influence of disease on the creative process."
BAECK, Erik. Maurice Ravel and right hemisphere activity.
European Journal of Neurology, v.9(3) (2002, May) p.321
Abstract: "Comments on the article by L. Amaducci et al (2002, above)
that examined the influence of neurological disease on Maurice Ravel's last
musical works. The author argues that there are no reasons whatsoever-
-chronological, neurocognitive or musical--to suggest that the Concerto for the
Left Hand was influenced by cerebral lesions.
MARINS, Elza Marques. Maurice Ravel and right hemisphere activity.
European Journal of Neurology, v.9(3) (2002, May) pp.320-321
Abstract: "Comments on the article by L. Amaducci et al (2002, above)
that examined the influence of neurological disease on Maurice Ravel's last
musical works. The author argues that it is a fallacy to consider the Bolero
as harmonically, melodically and rhythmically poor."
GRASSI, Enrico; BOLLER, Francois. Maurice Ravel and right hemisphere activity--Reply.
European Journal of Neurology, v.9(3) (2002, May) pp.321-322
Abstract: "Responds to commentaries from E. Marins (2002, above) and E.
Baeck (2002, above) on the authors' article (see Amaducci, 2002, above) that
examined the influence of neurological disease on Maurice
Ravel's last musical works. The authors agree with Marins' comments on their
article and refute Baeck's assertion that reports suggesting that Ravel
experienced neurological problems prior to 1932 should be dismissed."
[2003]
OTTE, Andreas; AUDENAERT, Kurt; OTTE, Karina. Did Maurice Ravel have a
whiplash syndrome?
Medical Science Monitor, v.9(5) (2003, May) LE9.
WARREN, Jason. Maurice Ravel's amusia.
Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, v.96(6) (2003, Jun) pp.284-7.
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