Piano Concerto (Ravel)

The Piano Concerto in G major was composed 1929-1931 by Maurice Ravel. The work consists of three movements: Allegramente, Adagio assai, and Presto. After its successful concert tour of America Ravel did the work originally premiered itself. But health problems prevented him - through preparatory exercises of the Etudes of Franz Liszt and Frédéric Chopin suffered from his hands under fatigue. Instead, the concert of the Orchestre Lamoureux and Marguerite Long was premiered on wings on January 14, 1932 by Ravel conducting. Long was a known for her interpretations of the works of Gabriel Fauré and Claude Debussy and Ravel pianist had already asked before a new aufzuführendes work - he dedicated to her in the end even the score of the Piano Concerto. The first performance on the North American continent took place on the evening of April 22, 1932 simultaneously by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra in their respective parent companies instead.

Ravel became familiar during his American tour with the state of the art at that time in Paris and the United States Jazz and was impressed in the highest degree. This influence is also practiced on the concert of which is influenced by jazz harmonies and peculiarities.

Instrumentation

Ravel wrote the orchestra following occupation before: piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, Eb, B and A clarinet, two bassoons, two horns in F, trumpet in C, trombone, timpani, triangle, snare drum, cymbals, large drum, tam-tam, wood block, whip, two harps, piano, 16 violins, 6 violas, 6 cellos, 4 double basses.

Form

Allegramente

The first movement opens with a single whip. It is followed by a mixture of well-known Basque and Spanish sounds of Ravel's youth with the newly discovered jazz sound. The opening movement is how many concerts in the usual sonata form written, but with a very long exposure.

With 106 bars in length in the exposition of the most musical ideas of the first set are presented. After the crack of the whip and the next drum roll the piano, which soon becomes a companion character for the onset of winds which introduce the main theme begins. Soon the silent piano; The orchestra swells up to full strength and gives the theme with each clock a new facet until finally the piano slide into an eerie, dreamlike musical repetition. Soon, however, the orchestra with a blues -like character sets in again, always alternating between major and minor. The second theme is introduced with a strong dissonance ( ais and h), but goes quickly into a rich, melodic shape over, reminiscent of George Gershwin's eight years earlier premiered Rhapsody in Blue.

After a quick chord progression of the piano the second theme is further developed using many nods to the first topic. After a variety of improvements, the music is transformed into a mystical passage in which the strings and the two harps dominate. After a short break, the passage continues, but is then interrupted by a variation of the blues figure of the first theme.

A distorted version of the first theme opens the recapitulation. Then repeated a cadence of the piano the second theme. Using this sophisticated processing of the sentence comes to an energetic conclusion, which consists of a coarse scale of the brass.

Adagio assai

In stark contrast to the previous sentence, the second, written in bridge mold set is very quiet, almost from Mozart's clarity. Although she is playing seemingly effortlessly, Ravel himself said about the issuing melody: " This flowing expression! As I reworked him stroke for stroke! He brought me almost to the grave! "

The first theme is only presented by the piano, the right hand takes over the melody, while the left hand accompanies the style of a Chopin Nocturne not dissimilar. After some time, the orchestra begins, strings and woodwinds carry the melody flowing into the second theme about.

The second theme, introduced by the bassoons, acts dense and gripping than the first. It appears with great ease, uses dissonant harmonies and figures of the piano and then goes just as easily in a reprise of the first theme over. A short coda brings the movement to a gentle end.

Presto

The third sentence in abridged sonata form, refers to the intensity of the first with its fast melodies and difficult passages. Since the premiere of the sentence served as an occasion for criticism.

The piano introduces the first theme, a, a quick chord progression before it is disturbed by dissonant interjections of the woodwinds and brass. It will still continue, even if a broadening out of heckling on the entire orchestra. According to a variety of thematic modulations of the sentence concludes with him to stop with those four chords, with whom he has also started.