Maurice Ravel - Piano Concerto for the Left Hand

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ก.พ. 2016
  • - Composer: Joseph-Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 -- 28 December 1937)
    - Orchestra: Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
    - Conductor: André Cluytens
    - Soloist: Samson François
    - Year of recording: 1959
    Piano Concerto in D major (for the left hand), written in 1929-1931.
    Between 1929 and 1931, Ravel, despite his failing health, worked feverishly, his imagination as powerful as ever. Among the works completed during this period are the two piano concertos: this extraordinary work and the scintillating Piano Concerto in G major [uploaded on this channel].
    This concerto was commissioned by the prominent Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein, brother of the celebrated philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, who had lost his right arm due to a wound sustained in World War I. It is indeed a tragic irony that Ravel, who also served his country in World War I, and Wittgenstein were enemies in this terrible conflict. Nevertheless, Ravel, fascinated by the technical challenge of composing a concerto for the left hand, approached the project with immense interest and enthusiasm. In addition, Ravel admired Wittgenstein's determination to continue his career as a concert pianist. Piano works for the left hand were certainly not a novelty, as compositions by Scriabin, Alkan, Godowsky and Lyapunov attest, but Ravel wanted to create a unique work which would not merely demonstrate how a pianist can compensate for a physical handicap. He wished to compose a work which would stand out as a unique piano concerto. The outcome of Ravel's efforts is one of the great piano concertos of the twentieth century.
    However, the Concerto, completed in October or November of 1931, failed to please Wittgenstein, who only gradually developed an appreciation for Ravel's work. Furthermore, when the Austrian pianist premiered the work in Vienna, in 1932, he took certain liberties with the score, to the composer's extreme consternation. Despite Ravel's frustration, he conducted the orchestra in Wittgenstein's Paris premiere of the Concerto in 1933. Because Wittgenstein had sole rights on the work for six years, Ravel had to wait until 1937 to hear a performance (by Jacques Février), which satisfied him.
    The work, which is really in one movement, begins deep in the bass register, with the contrabassoon, along with the basses, presenting a subdued theme, which elicits a mournful response from the horns. The initial mournful mood is gradually, almost imperceptibly, transformed into an insistent, somewhat manic, musical idea. The piano enters with a simple statement, creating pentatonic resonances, which disappear, but remain in the background. As the initial somber atmosphere lifts, the piano gradually establishes a mood of exquisite lyricism, which pervades the middle section. Ravel's writing is so subtle and technically ingenious that the listener hears a gentle melody with a hypnotically diaphanous, but seemingly elaborate, accompaniment; it is easy to forget that one hand does all the playing. The energy behind the third section, in which the piano engages the orchestra, often mimicking particular instrumental sonorities, profoundly differs from the wave-like, fluid, ascending motion of the Concerto in G major; here, the energy is discontinuous, manifesting itself in obstinate, repetitive figurations and phrases which, if only for brief moments, conjure up the spirit of his Boléro. At the same time, Ravel devotes truly marvelous pages to the piano, particularly in the cadenza-like part of the final section, in which the left hand leads an engaging and richly developed melody into a glowing orchestral finale.
    The piano concerto is dedicated: "à Paul Wittgenstein".
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ความคิดเห็น • 450

  • @IpseTreevor
    @IpseTreevor 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +38

    This is the most 20th century sounding piece I've ever heard. It has the jazz influence, the impressionism, the terror of war, and all the strangeness of this era of music combined

    • @SCRIABINIST
      @SCRIABINIST 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      It's dark and at times almost industrial in its might. The extremely majestic opening theme. The romantic and tender melody that withers into the imperious march. Often times, the music is ambiguous in its mood and feelings, perhaps to me, symbolizing the growing complexity and developement of not only the arts, but the entire world at the turn of the 20th century.

    • @lupash
      @lupash 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      overly underrated comment

  • @satosmi9408
    @satosmi9408 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +36

    The most amazing thing about Ravel, to me, is his ability to invent themes (and harmonies woven thereupon) which, while not really straying far from the 'traditional' ways, exude some sort of 'wackiness', in that they do not follow the path you would expect, yet come to convince or even please you. This along with his diversified taste for music genres, is what I think to be a major inspiration to today's composers.

    • @stevef9530
      @stevef9530 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I agree with your point. It’s interesting that quite hardcore modernist figures like Pierre Boulez were happy to conduct Ma Mère l’Oye, say, whilst being ferociously critical of the classical tradition.
      I think that at a point in history when that tradition was quite abruptly fractured by the impact of the modern, Ravel somehow managed to bestride the abyss that opened up. Whether modernity was a catastrophe or a revelation, under the pressure of the extreme violence of his time he managed to transform it into some kind of ‘inner quivering’ as Boulez put it. Intensely personal and intimate, but global too. I love many different composers and music of all kinds, but none that I know of have a greater emotional impact.

  • @sebastianboeddinghaus3505
    @sebastianboeddinghaus3505 3 ปีที่แล้ว +160

    Soldier friend: Loses right hand in WWI
    Ravel: composes concerto for just the left hand
    Because that's what hero's do

    • @stacia6678
      @stacia6678 3 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Soldier friend: doesn’t like the concerto and plays all wrong notes :/

    • @nghiavan8952
      @nghiavan8952 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Wittgenstein actually lost his entire arm.

    • @peabrane8067
      @peabrane8067 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      He was sponsored

    • @segmentsAndCurves
      @segmentsAndCurves 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@peabrane8067 This masterpiece is sponsored by Wittgenstein! Find out how to destroy your reputation multiple times!

    • @ogthekingofbashan333
      @ogthekingofbashan333 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Also Ravel: makes it too hard for him to play

  • @liriking11
    @liriking11 7 ปีที่แล้ว +633

    I read that Ravel composed this for a fellow soldier pianist with whom he fought in WWI, who had lost his right arm in combat. That coupled with the absolute genius of this music, I have never had so much admiration for any man living or dead.

    • @Sophiex7
      @Sophiex7 4 ปีที่แล้ว +60

      Yes, for Paul Wittgenstein (Ludwig's brother).

    • @averagemusicenjoyer
      @averagemusicenjoyer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +57

      False, Ravel couldn’t fight in WWI ; and Wittgenstein has been less than friendly with this concerto by cutting parts by himself.

    • @lawrencegbailey5212
      @lawrencegbailey5212 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@averagemusicenjoyer He did many things which you did not, fool.

    • @averagemusicenjoyer
      @averagemusicenjoyer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Lairere Bailorous no one has asked you anything, Wittgenstein has been a moron with Ravel

    • @starless5668
      @starless5668 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      But apparently, you did not read the description.

  • @oliviobertolini88
    @oliviobertolini88 ปีที่แล้ว +85

    This Cadenza has to be one of the best passages ever writen in the music story.

    • @javierlameiro3539
      @javierlameiro3539 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      but the precisely the cadenza elicited Wittgenstein´s main complaint, "too much cadenza"! He also rejected every other Concerto for the left hand written for him, of Prokofiev´s he said he didn´t understand a single note, and of Strauss´s, "too much orchestra"

    • @edby263
      @edby263 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@javierlameiro3539 Typical behaviour from the Wittgensteins

    • @AnAppleSlice
      @AnAppleSlice ปีที่แล้ว +17

      ​@@javierlameiro3539 Wittgenstein was a snobbish prick who made edits to commissioned works of other composers without their permission. This concerto is a famous example of Wittgenstein having done so, which infuriated Ravel and despite Wittgenstein eventually playing the composition as it was, it soured their relationship. The fact of Wittgenstein having done this to other composers was also why no one accepted his subsequent commissions.
      Furthermore, he owned exclusive performance rights to the pieces he commissioned. As a result of this, Paul Hindemith's Op. 29 was not discovered until 39 years after Wittgenstein died as the latter hid it from the public simply because he didn't like it.
      All in all, despite having commissioned the piece, Wittgenstein's remarks are worth absolutely nothing. He may have pioneered left-hand-only piano techniques, but he wasn't the one who spent time and effort on the pieces.

    • @lightyagami1058
      @lightyagami1058 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@javierlameiro3539 Sorabji and Corigliano: *Sweats nervously.*

  • @robertkoelle8910
    @robertkoelle8910 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

    Did anyone else seek this out after watching the season 8 episode of M.A.S.H.? Beautiful final scene between the wounded pianist and rhe doctor.

  • @belartful
    @belartful 4 ปีที่แล้ว +98

    Ravel takes a "disability" to a new and wonderful level..!!

  • @donnytello1544
    @donnytello1544 2 ปีที่แล้ว +169

    imagine how badass it’d be if ravel and Wittgenstein were on bad terms, and ravel decided to write a concerto completely for the right hand and dedicate it to Wittgenstein, or if he wrote this entire concerto and then added a single note at the end that required the right hand

    • @segmentsAndCurves
      @segmentsAndCurves 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Now that's something to imagine!

    • @harukaeruch.295
      @harukaeruch.295 2 ปีที่แล้ว +37

      He might use his nose for that single note

    • @donnytello1544
      @donnytello1544 2 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      @@harukaeruch.295 as he should

    • @antoniomartiradonna9498
      @antoniomartiradonna9498 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      nico constantino, Ravel composed this concerto for the brother of Wittgenstein , the philosopher . not for the same philosopher. Ravel and Wittgenstein were friends, i presume.

    • @IgnatzKolisch
      @IgnatzKolisch 2 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      @@antoniomartiradonna9498 They were not friends. They may have been friendly at one point, but Ravel became very aggressively offensive when hearing Wittgenstein rehearsing this very work, adding improvisations and changes that Ravel angrily forbade. "Performers are slaves," Ravel said to Wittgenstein. The disagreements between Ravel and Wittgenstein got quite hot, in front of many witnesses, which always makes the feelings one gets over angry arguments even worse. Ravel even told Wittgenstein bluntly that he was a bad pianist all along, and that losing his arm hadn't made him any better. Friends? If they ever were, it didn't last long!

  • @nicholas72611
    @nicholas72611 4 ปีที่แล้ว +106

    God that sonority at 10:52 just gives me chills... That lydian melody in the upper register of the piano atop the quartal/quintal voicings in the strings. Ravel was not of this earth....

    • @SCRIABINIST
      @SCRIABINIST 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Has a similar rhythm to Prokofiev Sonata 7, but more French and less warlike

    • @isaackellogg3493
      @isaackellogg3493 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Speaking of lydian (and therefore modes) do you know of any pieces you could recommend in the elusive hypomixolydian mode? I ran across it about fifteen years ago but can’t find anything apart from a few scales and the allegation that examples include the theme to Star Trek: TNG and “Sweet Home Alabama”-not exactly much on which to hang an understanding of the mode.

  • @MuseDuCafe
    @MuseDuCafe 7 ปีที่แล้ว +215

    Again, recordings which are superb and archival in their importance, coupled with what can only be an intense real labor to present With The Scores. Many thanks.

    • @olla-vogala4090
      @olla-vogala4090  7 ปีที่แล้ว +54

      It is an intense labour to make these videos. Thanks for recognising that :)

    • @hogreeIC
      @hogreeIC 7 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      You might as well hear it from me as well - these videos really are absolutely superb, and I do hope you get some sort of reward for making them. One of the most useful channels on TH-cam for any musician; thanks very much for all your work

  • @johnknox91
    @johnknox91 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    I find Ravel's understanding of musical structure to be extraordinary. The conversation between the piano and the orchestra in this piece is a work of genius, especially in the introduction. The orchestra introduces a dark, subdued theme in the very low register, and becomes increasingly manic. The piano soliloquy at first echoes the temperament but gradually becomes more tranquil, soothing the orchestra back to a state of calm. The orchestra then repeats the main theme introduced by the piano. Another effective use of structure by Ravel would be the Bolero, where he substitutes repition in place development. His ability to create scenes and tell stories through music is unparalleled.

  • @fidelcastro9112
    @fidelcastro9112 5 ปีที่แล้ว +236

    12:18 - 14:00 is majestically beautiful..
    My God the cadenza is fantastic!
    2:10 is one of the greatest piano intros, if not the best!

  • @georgiepentch
    @georgiepentch ปีที่แล้ว +13

    6:01 The piano writing in the Più lento is amazing
    10:00 The orchestration

  • @christianvennemann9008
    @christianvennemann9008 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    As awesome as the piano part is, I never cease to be awestruck by Ravel's masterful orchestration, especially from 1:32 until the piano's entrance. Just indescribably magnificent!

  • @randomchannel-px6ho
    @randomchannel-px6ho ปีที่แล้ว +11

    That fortissimo d octave around 17:35, it's the little genius things like this that keeps me coming back to Ravel. It feels so special but looking at the piano score it doesn't stand out from the figures that come before it. Ravel has the orchestra subtly rejoin filling in the harmony just enough to sound like additional overtones of the Piano. It's just lovely. (The cadenza and the ending is one of my favorite musical moments in general).

  • @ukdavepianoman
    @ukdavepianoman 5 ปีที่แล้ว +82

    Very first time I heard this concerto I thought this sounds really difficult (assuming it was two hands). Imagine my shock when the announcer said "...Ravel's concerto for one hand"! I've battled through this and it is tough. Apart from covering huge spans, the sound control and balance is really tough...and on top of that, one has to make it sound musical and poetic. Samson Francois plays wonderfully.

    • @stacia6678
      @stacia6678 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Same thing i thought when listening; apart from the technical difficulties, making the piano sound fluttery or bashing at the pianist’s will poses a much bigger difficulty.

    • @thekeyoflifepiano
      @thekeyoflifepiano 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      It's kind of like LiL PP energy. When you know ur small so you overcompensate.

  • @PrimeCarrot
    @PrimeCarrot 2 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    After years of listening to this piece, the cadenza has finally brought me to tears.

  • @CMLPoP
    @CMLPoP 6 ปีที่แล้ว +122

    10:00 is soooo beautiful like jesus christ i dont think i'll able to hear a better thing than that wow

    • @vaqalarxornawosk1731
      @vaqalarxornawosk1731 6 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      CML PoP it reminds me Ravels arr. of one part of Mussorgsky s Pictures of exhibition

    • @MultiDansk8
      @MultiDansk8 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      12:32 right here sounds pretty similar

    • @lawrencegbailey5212
      @lawrencegbailey5212 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      YES.

    • @segmentsAndCurves
      @segmentsAndCurves 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Le Tombeau de Couperin, prelude
      by Ravel!
      Symphony no.2, 3rd movement - Scriabin

    • @albuch520
      @albuch520 ปีที่แล้ว

      Beautiful melody. Btw why does it remind me of Petrushka or some folk Russian motive

  • @VICTOBERN
    @VICTOBERN 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    One wonders quite seriously whether anyone will ever achieve this level of invention today. I wonder if indeed there was a grand classical era which was uniquely so. The modern world seems removed from the depth of musical creativity and sensitivity of the Ravel and other great composers of that time.

  • @philippecirse4872
    @philippecirse4872 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    J'ai cliqué sur tant de vidéos liées, à travers tant de paysages insolites, incroyables et étranges. Je me sens comme dans un compartiment sur un chemin de fer, à admirer une succession de scènes folles jamais vues auparavant, des musiques importantes et étranges à travers la fenêtre du wagon.. il y a tant de choses à explorer, tellement d'endroits où se poser puis rester dans les ambiances proposées. Cet arrêt en particulier est brillant 💥

  • @qiaomuye6156
    @qiaomuye6156 6 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    this cadenza is crazy!!!

  • @elijahvalongo9528
    @elijahvalongo9528 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Francois is such a beloved French artist... Absolutely flawless

  • @christianvennemann9008
    @christianvennemann9008 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    10:53 is so magical.

  • @evm81029
    @evm81029 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    ГП: 1 раздел - 0:06; 2 раздел (каденция солиста №1) - 2:10; 3 раздел - 4:39
    ПП - 6:12
    Эпизод Allegro (разработка) - 8:12
    Реприза - 13:04
    Кульминация (каденция солиста №2) - 14:05
    Кода - 18:05

  • @norikoagawa881
    @norikoagawa881 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    この協奏曲をこんなにも華麗に美しく魂に訴えられるかのように演奏してくれるのはフランソワしか聞いたことがありません。テンポも多分ラヴェルが気に入ってくれていると思います。表現力のすばらしさは他に類をみません。しかもフランソワはレコード録音の際も取り直しなど一切なく、演奏会のように一発取りと聞いています。とても素晴らしいですね

  • @sohaib7526
    @sohaib7526 8 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    From an entire orchestra of sound to one left hand....that's insane!

    • @amerain1729
      @amerain1729 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Logan tipaza I can do the same. Just click the "play" button with my left thumb XD

  • @BruceBoschek
    @BruceBoschek 4 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    I heard this in concert when I was still quite young in the 1950s. I have always been enthralled by it, but seeing the notes as it is being played gave me a completely new access to this astonishing work. How fascinating it really is, and what a challenge to a pianist! Thanks to everyone who made this possible.

  • @jeanlucchapelon
    @jeanlucchapelon ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Ma version préférée !
    Samson François était un coloriste de génie 🙏

    • @irislangford6320
      @irislangford6320 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Absolument! I was in my early teens when I first heard Samson François' recording on vynil (early 60's) and listened again and again. The other side was the Concerto in G, which was also wonderful, but the Concerto for the Left Hand was spellbinding. One problem, however, with tying oneself to a single interpretation is that nothing else quite satisfies...

  • @enriquesanchez2001
    @enriquesanchez2001 4 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    THIS masterpiece never fails to elicit the indescribable emotions in the deepest recesses of my soul. I will always remain in awe of it's majesty and it's forceful affirmation of the Human Spirit. ♥♥♥

  • @nicolasfagel6077
    @nicolasfagel6077 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    When I listen to this masterpiece, I have the feeling of making a journey to France, Spain, Egypt and China in the same day...
    And it feels awesome !

  • @Medtnaculuss
    @Medtnaculuss 8 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    About time! ;)
    Great video as always -- hope to see more soon!

  • @MrGer2295
    @MrGer2295 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great performance ! Thank you for posting !

  • @LandOnBolts
    @LandOnBolts 7 ปีที่แล้ว +259

    it is amazing how far a composer goes in producing something like this! how does sound translate to anything else? why do we feel so good after a major 7th chord? love the mysteries of music...

    • @maxgamesst1
      @maxgamesst1 6 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      charles koder I like to think that maybe god made us that way

    • @slateflash
      @slateflash 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      That's exactly what i'm always wondering when i listen to music. Amazing indeed

    • @TheMikkis100
      @TheMikkis100 6 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      I've always been wondering how perfect a major 7th chord is. All music should have them!

    • @___xyz___
      @___xyz___ 5 ปีที่แล้ว +43

      @@TheMikkis100 No! For God's sake don't put major 7ths in everything. It's the greatest meme in contemporary music. There are whole works written exclusively in major 7ths. Sure, it sounds pleasing because it contains all good intervals (unless you start dealing with open voicings of flat ninths which are arguably atonal), but once you've heard major 7ths for a few hours, you will want to go out and kill somebody. So don't do that.
      But since you express such interest, because of the harmonic series, technically all notes contain the major 7th. But then, all notes contain all other chords as well. Just some chords are so far into the harmonic series that they're virtually indiscriminable. The big difference lies then in how "available" these harmonics are, whose adjacent notes are members of the major 7th. You'll quickly realise that, except for the actual "7th" interval, the whole major chord falls within the fifth harmonic of the root note! Thus, from the series, all a major chord is, is the root note with its second and fourth harmonic amplified.
      Then you start considering that each new note in the chord has its own harmonic series, and so on and so forth. What this means is that as soon as you get to the dyad (root + major third), you have a very audible "major 7th" by the 2nd harmonic of each note. Congratulations. You could stop there, tell the orchestra good job, safe trip home and see you all next time. But nay. Let's (transpose) copy/paste the dyad onto the 2nd harmonic (fifth) and see what happens. Holy hell, at this point we're audibly amplifying each note at least three times. There aren't many stray harmonics, cause the fifth and major third keep turning up again and again, amplifying the octaves of all the other fundamentals.
      Some might argue that this is merely a loudness problem, same as with radio stations and dynamically retarded modern audio productions, of which there is some merit. It's well established that louder music is associated with greater pleasure (granted that the listener themself finds music pleasing). But that would mean not taking into account phasing or "saturation" that occurs because the major 7th we're used to hearing from a piano isn't the real (just) major 7th whose harmonics fall mathematically perfect onto all other notes within the harmonic cluster of the chord by low number ratios, emanating a lifeless, stable drone.
      Needless to say, I don't know why major 7ths sound the way they do. There are probably people doing PhD theses on it as we speak. All I know is that it grinds my gears when inexperienced composers go dancing on the major 7ths thinking they've revolutionised music. And all the inexperienced listeners go blasting major 7ths into peoples faces like "check this cute music out so much better than mozart" when it's literally just an FX box with prepackaged major 7ths for the helpless masses.
      Ok my rant is over. TL;DR: ya'll need Gsus

    • @TheMikkis100
      @TheMikkis100 5 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      @@___xyz___ You should probably spend your time on something else

  • @WarpZone10
    @WarpZone10 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Another favorite of mine. Love your channel.

  • @tashaschneider1419
    @tashaschneider1419 6 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Love this piece with all my heart!

  • @davidfranklin272
    @davidfranklin272 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Lovely performance. Nice clarity. Enjoyed.

  • @marcsmith7789
    @marcsmith7789 6 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    This is a masterpiece. A stunning and deeply emotional work.

  • @OrganisedSound
    @OrganisedSound 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    So cool to see this up in TH-cam!

  • @billyoumans1784
    @billyoumans1784 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thank you! One of Ravel’s greatest pieces. Superbly performed!

  • @majollytrust
    @majollytrust ปีที่แล้ว

    A magnificent concerto and a magnificent performance ❤

  • @EmdrGreg
    @EmdrGreg 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I LOVE this concerto.

  • @valerieheinderyckx4506
    @valerieheinderyckx4506 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Une des plus belles réalisations musicales de la main de l'homme... Merci. ❤

  • @rr7firefly
    @rr7firefly 7 ปีที่แล้ว +45

    Mister Olla-Vogala, thank you for including extensive notes on the Piano Concerto. Aside from placing the music in its historical context, the notes give us a greater appreciation of the compositional and performance (Wittgenstein's disability) achievements. I also much like the descriptive analysis of the Concerto and the sheet music. Merci!

  • @brettwilcots8608
    @brettwilcots8608 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    My thanks as I am much older don;t get to the library much and to have the scores with the music is a blessing. Peace.

  • @789armstrong
    @789armstrong 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I believe this is the best performance I have ever heard of this magnificent work.

  • @webstergilessmith6947
    @webstergilessmith6947 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Just a really brilliant concerto. So beautiful in so many sections! Ravel was a most definite genius composer!

  • @solidsnake9332
    @solidsnake9332 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Master composition by Ravel. Tells a story of the highness and lowness of a tragedy called war, where Rich and Old send the Young and Poor to fight their wars. . .

  • @hudsonhovil1621
    @hudsonhovil1621 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thanks for going to the effort of producing these vids, especially the extensive descriptions at the bottom of your videos. Your channel is excellent.

  • @Odin_Limaye
    @Odin_Limaye 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    So astoundingly beautiful; an absolute masterpiece from Ravel!

  • @beckyw2903
    @beckyw2903 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thank you for including the score on this! Having the orchestral reduction was quite helpful, as I'm currently studying this as an orchestral musician for an upcoming performance.

  • @minpn5810
    @minpn5810 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Wow this piece is gold

  • @solidsnake9332
    @solidsnake9332 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Masterful composition. I can almost just make out the scene of war. I tingle every time i hear that orchestral intro. . . Very introspective

  • @ilyasozurakov2393
    @ilyasozurakov2393 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Probably one of the best recordings!!!

  • @Barbapippo
    @Barbapippo 8 ปีที่แล้ว +42

    This is a worthy YT channel, thank you!

  • @jsabuilds2404
    @jsabuilds2404 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    What a superb introduction!

  • @jjalifano1
    @jjalifano1 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Amazingly beautiful concerto. Bravissimo!

  • @isaacthomas6544
    @isaacthomas6544 6 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    You can't help but smile the whole time while listening to this. I can't believe anyone could have less than a glowing reaction to Ravel. A simply magical composer, and a great recording of this piece. Thank you for uploading!

  • @alessandroanderlini2700
    @alessandroanderlini2700 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I really want to thank you olla-vogala, for all your videos :) really a beautiful experience!

  • @billyboyblue1539
    @billyboyblue1539 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Incredible Ravel with this masterpiece- sends chills as does all his works- thank God for music those before and after

  • @georgemandom69
    @georgemandom69 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    With the background of this commission, the piece makes sense. It conjures up images of military scenes such as soldiers marching, grand parades, and the individual pensiveness and struggle that soldiers go through after the war. The sudden change back to military grandeur at the end is a grand finish I suppose.

  • @suzannedallape6691
    @suzannedallape6691 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I was lucky enough to have heard this live, by the magnificent Utah Symphony. It is absolutely unreal when heard live. You feel the opening strings before you hear them.

  • @HarDiMonPetit
    @HarDiMonPetit 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    The best version - at least to my soul. A delight to follow on the score. Thanks!

  • @walterwitty9290
    @walterwitty9290 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Fav piece of music ever.

  • @thinkOfMeAsAClassicalMusician
    @thinkOfMeAsAClassicalMusician 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    simply fantasic!

  • @dordiwesterlund2528
    @dordiwesterlund2528 24 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Wonderful!!

  • @StephenGottPianist
    @StephenGottPianist 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Love the Cadenza in this concerto. Sounds like Ondine from Gaspard. Love the Bassoon and oboe in this work too.

  • @foli...
    @foli... 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Beautiful!

  • @davidfranklin272
    @davidfranklin272 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very good performance.

  • @freeridermaster0987
    @freeridermaster0987 7 ปีที่แล้ว +27

    The effort you put into these videos, hours and hours of work... I can not thank you enough.

  • @robertcohn8858
    @robertcohn8858 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The printed notes are as beautiful as the music itself. Bravo to Samson François for his magnificent performance. Thank you.

  • @beth_levin_piano
    @beth_levin_piano 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you!

  • @marinadela1361
    @marinadela1361 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    It's genius how just one hand can sound like two or even three sometimes.

  • @jonathangandara109
    @jonathangandara109 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    My musicology teacher, Jessie Fillerup just wrote a book called "Magician of Sound: Ravel and the Aesthetics of Illusion" One of the chapters is on this concerto and I'm blown away. For anybody who is at all interested in Ravel, take a look at Dr. Fillerup's book. It's wild.

  • @okon-guitar3908
    @okon-guitar3908 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The first interpretation in which the habanera rhythm in the opening cadence is really present.
    Great work from the soloist and the orchestra as well.
    Ravels masterpiece in best hands

  • @adriandurand4531
    @adriandurand4531 6 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Pianist Samson François was really UNIQUE when playing this concerto, which he was totally identified with. The piece is heroic, oniric, sinister, nostalgic and dramatic all at the same time. All misical works by Ravel are of outstanding quality, however this is one of his absolute masterworks.

  • @grahamexeter3399
    @grahamexeter3399 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thanks heaps for uploading the score! It's still an extraordinary work after decades of being performed and recorded! I was fortunate to see it live with Alicia de Laroccha - never to be forgotten! Further to Ullrich Herz's comment below, there's a wonderful book about the Wittgensteins, "The House of Wittgenstein: A Family at War' by Alexander Waugh - highly recommended if anyone wants more detail about Paul's life, the pieces he commissioned and his relationships with the composers.

  • @sergeboisse
    @sergeboisse 8 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    C'est un vrai plaisir d'écouter ce concerto en suivant la partition ! On mesure mieux à quel point Ravel était un génie. Et dire qu'il a composé le merveilleux concerto en Sol en même temps que celui-ci !

  • @multimusicstudios5661
    @multimusicstudios5661 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Recently, as a master's of music composition candidate at GSU, I discovered this piece as a historical artifact and a novel composition. But today, the reality of the love, research, and sacrifice that Ravel demonstrated in creating this work commissioned by the concert pianist, Paul Wittgenstein who lost his right arm during WWI, is remarkable, and quite difficult to play with one hand.

  • @aynurruzgargokce4142
    @aynurruzgargokce4142 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Its amazing

  • @5Cheery7
    @5Cheery7 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I saw this performed recently in Manchester, UK. Incredible to watch it played with one hand!

    • @olla-vogala4090
      @olla-vogala4090  8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      +5Cheery7 Yes I saw it once too, a great piece to see in a live performance!

  • @patrickrogelet4591
    @patrickrogelet4591 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Quelle belle idée d'offrir une lecture de partition en simultanée ! Je découvre votre chaine par hasard et je m'abonne ! Merci pour votre travail très original. Et ce concerto je le redécouvre et perçoit d'une autre façon. Quel génie ce Ravel.

  • @marinadela1361
    @marinadela1361 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Ravel birthed such ingenious rhythms and melodies that come together for the immaculate auditory illusion of making a single hand playing sound like two or even three sometimes.

  • @OriginalAnonymous1
    @OriginalAnonymous1 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I can't play a note on any instrument and I love music and I know great music when I hear it............and this is great music!

  • @marichristian1072
    @marichristian1072 8 ปีที่แล้ว +164

    I suppose struggles between composer and soloist are nothing new. But it's difficult to imagine what Wittgenstein objected to in this magnificent concerto. Grateful thanks for posting, olla-vogala.

    • @harryandruschak2843
      @harryandruschak2843 8 ปีที่แล้ว +45

      +Mari Christian The truth is that Wittgenstein was a mediocre pianist. He totally rejected Hindimith's concerto, which gathered dust for decades, as it was beyond his limited abilities.

    • @chinyereobasi7236
      @chinyereobasi7236 8 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      +Harry Andruschak He only had one hand, what did you expect. I wouldn't exactly call him mediocre, though his abilities were limited.

    • @eoinalllen5951
      @eoinalllen5951 8 ปีที่แล้ว +50

      +Chinyere Obasi "With both hands he would not have stood out from a crowd of mediocre pianists." said Prokofiev

    • @chinyereobasi7236
      @chinyereobasi7236 8 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Michael Varell And somehow Prokofiev's word is law? I admit, the only reason he got famous was because he could play with only one hand, but that doesn't diminish the fact that most of us couldn't do it.

    • @eoinalllen5951
      @eoinalllen5951 8 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      +Chinyere Obasi I wrote that quote because Prokofiev and indeed Ravel (who wasn't so fond of Wittgenstein himself) are examples of people who knew Wittgenstein and actually heard him play. From what I have heard here online, I don't really agree.

  • @eduardorabelo5642
    @eduardorabelo5642 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    4:40 one of the most beautiful passagens in classical music imo (this concerto has the prettiest themes i ever seen)

  • @LandOnBolts
    @LandOnBolts 7 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I like M.A.H's rendition of this. it is so blended with the orchestra! this piece is one of my favorites

    • @busoni1
      @busoni1 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      It's solid. But. This is my all time fav. Francois takes such a masculine, vibrant, no bs, approach to all of Ravel's works in a way that no one else does. It's refreshing.

  • @antoniomm2879
    @antoniomm2879 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Un concierto, sencillamente, propio de un genio.

  • @MaciejAfanasjew
    @MaciejAfanasjew 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    fantastic

  • @Peculate
    @Peculate 7 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    2:13 to 2:22 Mmmm parallel fifths galore
    (Although there are some fourths thrown in there too, for good measure - and to keep it in pentatonic)

    • @catherineb.7461
      @catherineb.7461 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      My harmony teacher is quacking😂

    • @none5020
      @none5020 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@catherineb.7461 If only I had a duck as a teacher.

  • @AlexandraKamp
    @AlexandraKamp 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    For ever in my heart 🍃🔆🍃

  • @lorddorogoth
    @lorddorogoth 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    This is why I love 6/8

  • @charlottewhyte9804
    @charlottewhyte9804 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    wow this is aawesome

  • @bigkspicy8257
    @bigkspicy8257 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Amazing execution- this piece bleeds with style and emotion

  • @michaelrosa2015
    @michaelrosa2015 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The piano entrance (cadenza) is unlike anything I've ever heard in the repertoire. It's one of the few works where I feel like it was etched in my memory from the first hearing.

  • @annediss8706
    @annediss8706 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Dear Mr Olla-Vogala, Thank you so much for putting this together, so wonderful to follow along the score as M. Francois plays: what an amazing experience!

  • @signer530
    @signer530 6 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    The first time I listened to this- at 12:51, I was already smiling in that knowing disbelief as the music unfolded before me... "are you fvcking kidding me? Ravel! like UGH, Ravel you are fucking my ears into paradise!" And then, holy shit the third movement.
    This being one his pieces I've came to know more recently, its fascinating/delightful how self-referential/affirming this is about his musicality. But it's also sad as it's one of his very lasts gifts to the world.

  • @Grateful_Phan
    @Grateful_Phan 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Fantasia on Themes from "Into the Woods," as I once heard a conductor call it.

  • @MichaelConwayBaker
    @MichaelConwayBaker 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    One of the greatest pieces of music of the 20th c. A masterpiece!

    • @davidsheriff9274
      @davidsheriff9274 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yes, Miles Davis wrote in his autography that he and Bill Evens were very Inspired by Ravel's music, especially this piece. He said much of the music on their famous record "Kind of Blue" came out of Ravel's harmonic approach. The piano style of Bill Evens in general, was very influenced by ravel and Debussy.

  • @liriking11
    @liriking11 6 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    I love how the last thing the piano does is a d minor scale into a d major chord

    • @Zdrange03
      @Zdrange03 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      2 flats: it's a Bb scale ending on third degree (D).

  • @OmArVi-me4hp
    @OmArVi-me4hp 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    If you play this piece from 8:13 to 9:56 at *1.25 speed it's sounds like jazz.

    • @alexanderbayramov2626
      @alexanderbayramov2626 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks to your comment, I can't unhear now some similarities between that part and theme from the pink panther :D