In July 1895, Ravel had completed his studies at the Paris Conservatoire, and by the end of the year had completed three works, the piano piece "Menuet antique," the "Habañera" for two pianos, and the song "Un grand sommeil noir." If Ravel's early record at the Conservatoire (1889-95) looked rather unpromising, by 1895, a distinctive style was taking shape as he began to compose with renewed enthusiasm. "Un grand sommeil noir," based on the poem by Verlain, marks the beginning of a distinctively tragic, even macabre, strain in his output, extending to such later works as "Le Gibet" from "Gaspard de la nuit," "La Valse," the "Chansons madecasses" and the Concerto for the Left Hand.

"Un grand sommeil noir" was one of several compositions that would remain virtually unkown during his lifetime, only to be published posthumously. The pervading mood of this song is one of gloom and foreboding. The vocal line is primarily a series of low, slow-moving repeated notes, followed by a rapid lyrical ascent (suggesting the influence of Massenet), and the somber atmosphere, chordal texture, and chromatic harmonies are not unlike Debussy's "De Fleurs" from the "Proses lyriques." Other settings of Verlain's poem include those by Stravinsky (1910) and Honegger (1944).

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