This week, we're taking a look back at the premiere of Season 3, exploring 4 of the greatest pieces of the French master, Maurice Ravel. Through the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, Tombeau de Couperin, and of course, Bolero, we dive into the incredibly unique and wonderful style of Ravel. There's no other composer that sounds like Ravel - his unmatched orchestration, charming naïveté, and deeply buried sensuality make him one of the most remarkable composers to explore.

Ravel once said: “We should always remember that sensitiveness and emotion constitute the real content of a work of art.“  Canadian pianist Janina Fialkowska brings his art to life in "Jeux d'Eau".  Also, the Moet Trio was the first ensemble to participate in the New England Conservatory's Professional Piano Trio Training Program - and they did a great performance for us of Ravel's Trio.

Ravel: Jeux d'Eau
Janina Fialkowska, piano
Recorded in a live broadcast at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on October 6th, 2008.

Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor (1914)
Moet Trio: Yuri Namkung, violin; Yves Dharamraj, cello; Michael Mizrahi, piano
Recorded in a live broadcast at WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio on April 15th, 2008.

In advance of my appearance with the New York Philharmonic this week, conducting an almost all-Ravel program, the premiere of Season 3 of Sticky Notes is devoted to the music of the French master, Maurice Ravel.  We're talking about 4 of his greatest pieces - Bolero, Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, Tombeau de Couperin, and his Piano Concerto for the Left Hand.  We dive into Ravel's brilliant orchestration, his creativity, and the soul beneath the cool and restrained exterior of his music.  Thanks so much for listening, and I hope you enjoy it!