I don't know if it's the composer himself, or just a personal hang-up of mine, but for no apparent reason, I just can't get into the music of Maurice Ravel. I love the opening of Bolero, but by the end, the piece seems to be weighed down by way too much brass, and loses its sense of buoyancy. I hold nothing against Ravel personally, and his music is not without its charm, but it just seems a bit tedious and uninspired (you have no idea how much I've listened, trying to change my opinion), which is surprising when you note that Ravel's idol was Mozart. But when you put him next to the giants of twentieth century music, like Stravinsky or Prokofiev, he just seems a tad irrelevant. Am I alone in my indifference toward Ravel? Is there something seriously wrong with me? Does anybody else have an example of a highly respected composer whom they feel may be overrated? Still Listening, ----Barrett