Les Apaches

The core was formed by the French composer Maurice Ravel, the Spanish pianist Ricardo Viñes and the writer and critic Michel-Dimitri Calvocoressi.

The group was private but never formal, and the wider membership was fluid; over 20 unofficial members would attend meetings of Les Apaches until it came to an end during World War I.

The meetings were a chance for the members to perform and show new works or ideas to a small group, discuss contemporary artistic interests and collaborate.

In the early 20th century the term Les Apaches was used to describe European street gangs who were of intense interest to the French media at the time.

Les Apaches" as members of the group were returning from the premiere of Claude Debussy's opera Pelléas et Mélisande, a work they praised and rallied around.

For several years, the meetings usually took place in the city studio of the painter Paul Sordes (dubbed 'Ravel with a palette'), a neighbor of the composer Claude Debussy.

The meetings were lively, and would often last until the early hours of the morning; they would discuss art, argue about contemporary issues, perform music for each other (Viñes being the favoured pianist), play duets together, read poetry, drink coffee and smoke.

Symbolism, Javanese music, Russian composers, Edgar Allan Poe, Stéphane Mallarmé and Paul Cézanne were all topics that fascinated Les Apaches.

According to Stravinsky's letters, he frequently visited Paris, staying at the home of his closest friend in the city, Maurice Delage, who helped him deliver manuscripts and set up interviews with the press.