Page 64 - GTMF 2024 Season Program

July 5 & 6 PROGRAM NOTES

Maurice Ravel

Piano Concerto in G Major

AT A GLANCE

Born: 1875
Died: 1937
Date of Composition: 1929-1931
Instrumentation: Piano Concerto
in G Major is scored for
piccolo, flute, oboe, English
horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons,
2 horns, trumpet, trombone,
timpani, percussion, strings
and solo piano.

In January 1928, shortly after
having arrived in New York for
a four-month tour, Ravel spoke
to critic Olin Downes about his
fascination with American jazz:
“I think you know that I admire
enormously and hold in high
esteem—doubtless more still than
most American composers—
your jazz. But…my musical mode
remains obviously French, even to Maurice Ravel
the last informed listener.”
No empty words there. Ravel’s
Piano Concerto in G represents
the quintessence of an “obviously left hand only, on a commission the premiere in January 1932.
French” idiom lightly seasoned from pianist Paul Wittgenstein Recording trivia buffs take note:
with a soupçon of jazz elements. (who had lost his right arm in the 1932 recording, once thought
It can be thought of as the mirror World War I). Thus the Concerto to feature Ravel on the piano, is
of Gershwin’s An American in in G wasn’t completed and ready actually played by Long.
Paris—A Frenchman in New York, for publication until late 1931.
perhaps. Its story begins with that The Concerto in G mixes
1928 American tour, for which After all that, and after any lighthearted frivolity with exquisite
Ravel had originally intended to number of hours slaving away sensibility. The first movement
write a concerto for himself to on piano etudes in order to get opens with the crack of a whip
play. As things turned out, he his chops up to the concerto’s and keeps up a heady pace
hadn’t even begun composing considerable demands, he real- throughout, despite forays into
the work until early 1929, well ized that he was simply not up blues-inflected passages. It
after the tour had finished. It was to the task of playing it reliably sustains a rare balance between
delayed still further when Ravel and handed the task over to his piano and orchestra—so much
interrupted work in favor of a long-time colleague and friend so, in fact, that it is as much a
different piano concerto for the Marguerite Long, who gave chamber ensemble as a concerto.

62 Grand Teton Music Festival Season 63