Ravel, who heard jazz in Harlem with Gershwin, was dumbfounded by the dazzling Rhapsody in Blue, which Gershwin played at a birthday party for the French composer. When Gershwin asked to study with him, Ravel said "It is better to write good Gershwin than bad Ravel." The jazz-influenced Concerto for the Left Hand was written for a pianist grievously injured during the First World War. The dark undertones of La Valse, an homage to Viennese waltz, suggest a furious farewell to gentility in post-war Europe. Elliott Carter's powerful Variations for Orchestra, another 20th-century masterwork, opens the program.
“Beyond [Marc-André Hamelin’s] electrifying technical skills, the Montreal native is probably one of the most complete musicians of his generation: a virtuoso.” —LA PRESSE
On Thursday, May 23, the San Francisco Symphony performs this concert at the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University. For more information about this beautiful, state-of-the-art venue, please visit sfsymphony.org/greenmusic.
Conductor/Performers
conductor
piano
San Francisco Symphony
Program
Ravel
La Valse
All sound clips are from San Francisco Symphony performances and are used with permission of the SFS Players Committee.
Concert length is approximately 2 hours.
Podcasts
Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue