Ravel was never the least stand-offish or reluctant to discuss his compositions with fellow-composers whom he happened to like.  Although I was four years his junior, he was always ready to play to me his latest works, and as he expected me to ‘return the compliment’, we became for a time a sort of ‘mutual encouragement society’.  He was not even above asking my advice, and after playing some daring passage would ask: ‘Do you think I have gone too far?  Ought I to tone it down a bit?’

                Being a remarkably dexterous pianist, he could give an excellent impression of either chamber-music or orchestral works on the piano.  Sometimes he would attempt to sing as well, and then the effect was unintentionally comic, for he had what my professor, Iwan Knorr, used to call a ‘regular composer’s voice’!