Romantic Encounters -- Solo Piano Ravel & Chopin

Maurice Ravel

Prelude in a minor
Menuet sure le nom d'Haydn

Le Tombeau de Couperin
Prelude
Fugue
Forlane
Rigaudon
Menuet
Toccata

Frederic Chopin

Nocturne in E major, Op. 62 No. 2

Sonata No. 3 in b minor, Op. 58
Allegro maestoso
Scherzo. Molto Vivace
Largo
Finale

Maurice Ravel’s works on tonight’s program highlight his gift for blending elegance with imagination. His Prélude in A minor (1913), though written as a student exam piece, sparkles with refinement far beyond its modest origins. The Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn (1909) pays tribute to the Classical master by weaving the letters of “Haydn” into a graceful dance. The centerpiece, Le Tombeau de Couperin (1914–17), written during the First World War, recalls the French Baroque keyboard tradition while serving as a deeply personal memorial to friends lost in the conflict. Its six movements range from playful dances to brilliant virtuosity, showing how Ravel could look to the past while speaking in a distinctly modern voice.

Frédéric Chopin’s music provides a complementary contrast, offering lyricism and expressive depth. His late Nocturne in E major, Op. 62 No. 2 (1846) is a work of refined beauty, full of songlike lines and daring harmonies. The Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58 (1844), Chopin’s final sonata, brings together grandeur, sparkle, poetry, and passion. Its four movements move from heroic drama to playful brilliance, then to a radiant slow movement, and finally to a whirlwind finale. Together, Ravel and Chopin invite us into sound worlds that balance reflection with dazzling virtuosity—offering a glimpse into two of the most distinctive voices of 19th- and early 20th-century piano music.