Belgian National Orchestra, Gabel & Tharaud

Maurice Ravel had long considered composing a piano concerto when, in 1929, he received a commission from Paul Wittgenstein to write a concerto for the left hand. This Austrian pianist had lost his right arm during World War I, but continued his pianistic career by arranging works himself and commissioning compositions. Ravel accepted the assignment, resulting in the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D major, a single-movement composition that is rather dark and tragic in nature. In parallel, Ravel also wrote the Piano Concerto in G major. This brilliant work — initially intended to be called a ​‘Divertissement’ by Ravel — is much lighter in character and draws inspiration from jazz music and Basque folk melodies.