described it as his masterpiece for orchestra.

Suites of excerpts

Ravel extracted music from the symphonie to make two orchestral suites, which can be performed with or without the chorus. The first was prepared as early as 1911, that is, before the staging. The second, essentially Partie III of the whole, was issued in 1913 and is particularly popular. (When the complete work is performed it is more often in concert than staged.) Ravel adhered to his description of the music in his formal titling of the suites:
*Fragments

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