Poster for première of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Photo: Commons
A French composer introduces the blues to his classical music.
When Marguerite Long premièred the concerto in 1932, she told Ravel she was anxious about maintaining the cantabile, of the long flowing phrase that opens the second movement.
Ravel replied that he worked on that flowing phrase “bar by bar,” and it “nearly killed” him.
He and Marguerite Long toured 20 cities in Europe with the concerto.
It was a huge hit. But it was his last hit.
Introduced by Margaret Ogilvie.
