Ravel’s final masterpiece and the wild genius who brought it to life (ft. Gwendolyn Mok)

Video Description

The troubled history and life changing recording of Ravel's left hand concerto. 🎹 Try Tonebase Premium: https://www.tonebase.co/piano?utm_source=youtube 🌟 Watch this NEXT! 🧠 Featuring Gwendolyn Mok https://www.gwendolynmok.com/ Hosted, written and edited by Robert Fleitz - @RobertFleitz https://www.instagram.com/rfleitz/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/tonebasepiano/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tonebasepiano/ Questions? Leave us a comment below or contact us: [email protected] Maurice Ravel was nearing the end of his life when he wrote his two piano concertos — the Piano Concerto in G Major, and the groundbreaking Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. Written for Paul Wittgenstein, a pioneering pianist who lost his arm in World War I and who commissioned several notable composers, things did not go according to plan. Here is the story of how a wildly brilliant pianist, Samson François, made the definitive recording and what makes it special. Ravel expert Gwendolyn Mok joins us to help us learn piano practice routines for how to play Ravel, why this piece is unique, and how to begin playing Ravel in our own repertoire. The video also features more music from by Ravel, played by Gwendolyn Mok, Samson François and Robert Fleitz, including Barque Sur l’Ocean, Alborada del Gracioso, Scarbo, and Tombeau de Couperin. There is also Brahms Piano Concerto and Strauss Panathenaenzug. The video also features comical references to Amadeus, The Emperor’s New Groove, Home Alone 2, Samson and Delilah, Ness un Nesija, and Grand Piano. Special thanks to Liza Stepanova, who shared this recording with us for the first time while I was in her course at the Juilliard School. ⌛CHAPTERS⌛ 0:00 Listen closely… 1:20 A very unusual commission 2:29 Is it modern...? 3:59 Part I: The Dark Masterpiece 5:14 A concerto AGAINST the piano 7:27 Part II: The Wild Genius 9:32 Samson's Ravel LH Concerto 12:37 Part III: The Lasting Legacy 13:27 The Final Statement of a Brilliant Mind Samson François Plays Ravel Left Hand Concerto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjiSSWubIuU Gwendolyn Mok Plays Ravel G Major Concerto: https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_SIGCD2159 Debussy and Ravel are NOT the same! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A0rED0vgKc Featuring a fabulous cameo from @MetalClassicalRocks! --- tonebase gives you instant access to knowledge from the world's greatest classical musicians, performers, and educators. Learn more by visiting https://tonebase.co/piano Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/tonebasepiano/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tonebasepiano/ Questions? Contact us: [email protected]