Although he wanted to fly planes during the First World War and was considered a likely candidate to be drafted as a pilot because of his small stature and light weight, Ravel's health was always in question and disqualified him from participating in this venture. He was assigned to be a truck driver for a unit that included a few Germans including Adolf Hitler. The death of his mother in 1917, the deaths of several close friends and his own health ended Ravel's days inside of the war experience and he began to withdraw in sorrow from the world, becoming severely depressed. He wrote one of his best pieces, Le Tombeau de Couperin for piano in 1917 and orchestrated four of its six movements for orchestra, each movement dedicated to fallen musical comrades. This also marked the end of Ravel's early musical activities for Claude Debussy passed away in 1918 and the emergence of interest in more modern music served as an inspiration that kept Ravel writing more marvelous music.

The 1920's were the last full decade of activity for the composer. The decade began with a commission from Sergei Diaghilev for a work based on the city of Vienna and all of its connections with the world of dance. Ravel obliged with a portrayal of Vienna that was anything but a frothy piece. Instead, it resembles blurred memories of what was once a more innocent era, contrasted with the haggard remains that were the Europe after World War 1. That year also saw the French government awarding Maurice Ravel with its Legion of Honor which he promptly refused, preferring to move outside of Paris into a beautiful countryside home which garnered the peace and quiet he so desperately needed. He continued with concertizing and touring as well as championing of new music with membership in the SMI, promoting the works of Sir Arnold Bax, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson. His music found great favor in England and America, the latter of which was providing more of an influence on Ravel's works with early jazz being figured prominently. It was at this time that he orchestrated Modest Moussorgsky's epic work for piano "Pictures At An Exhibition." This version of the piano original was taken quickly into the repertoire of every important orchestra throughout the world and remains the best statement out of all of the arrangements have disappeared. And by 1927, Ravel began his association with recording his own music whether under his own direction or supervising that by other musicians. And one country was added to his touring schedule, for he visited America for the first time, drinking in the whole atmosphere of the country's music and culture. His concert with the Boston Symphony set the seal on all of his performances which received rave reviews and spawned two works that reflect this visit: his Concerto in G and a Violin Sonata which contained a second movement titled "Blues." He also began a friendly relationship with George Gershwin who took on the duties of initiating his French acquaintance into the life style of America at that time, including trying marijuana.

Upon returning to Paris, Ravel wrote his two piano concertos in succession, beginning with the Left Hand Concerto in D which left handed pianist Paul Wittgenstein commissioned. The G Major concerto was completed a year later and more openly reflects American jazz juxtaposed with those of Saint-Saens, Scarlatti and Mozart. He dedicated the work to his friend pianist Marguerite Long who made the first recording of the work in 1932. This represented the last piece he would be able to complete for later that year, he was involved in a traffic accident in which he injured his brain. He began forgetting things and would go in and out of aphasia attacks. This, in turn, affected his composing for he was no longer able to write the music score for a Feodor Chaliapin starring vehicle about Don Quixote (the assignment was later re-composed by Jacques Ibert). The ensuing 5 years of his life was spent in retirement at his country home with his beloved house keeper taking care of the invalid composer. In 1937,m he consented to having a brain operation which included one side of his brain being inflated with serious fluid. Although he survived the operation, he died shortly thereafter at the age of 62. Maurice Ravel was buried next to his parents in a granite tomb outside of Paris.

Both as a young man and as an adult, Ravel was not cut out to be a Bohemian and experienced no traumas of adolescence. His was always a little aloof, intellectually biased, dressed like a dandy and became very meticulous about his dress and demeanor being short of stature and very thin looking. His large head was a symbol of his towering intellect which included his accumulating a personal library of over 1,000 books. As all young men do at one time or another, Ravel grew a beard which, after a short time, he shaved and never wore any facial hair at all in his later years. Although he was reserved by nature, Ravel was sensitively self critical and possessed a remarkably child-like mischievous personality.

The loss of such a man as Maurice Ravel left a large hole in contemporary music which has never been successfully filled. His perfection of orchestration, the sensitive scoring of melodies and a love of instrumental effects for a musical reason all combined into making Maurice Ravel one of truly great musicians of the twentieth century and one of the most beloved.