Debussy is much older than Ravel --born in 1862, Ravel is born in 1875.
Both of them where associated to the same group of young french artists
--G.  Faure was teacher of composition at the Conservatoire de Paris where
both of them studied.  From what I remember, Debussy and Ravel where
friends for a time.  I remember a radio feature on Ravel (for the 60
anniversary of his death) Manuel Rosenthal, a Ravel student who became
a well known maestro said that Ravel was taking the Debussy's Prelude a
l'apres-midi d'un faune as the most perfect piece of music ever written....
I hope it's help....

Denis Lessard
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Quebec, Canada