There’s an old story that composers Maurice Ravel and George Gershwin met at a party. Supposedly Gershwin asked about studying with Ravel. To which the French composer replied, “Why would you want to be a second-rate Ravel when you can be a first-rate Gershwin?.”* The two meet again this week as the Los Angeles Philharmonic presents a program of Gershwin & Ravel beginning on Thursday night at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Leading the LA Philharmonic for these performances is, appropriately enough, French conductor Lionel Bringuier. Another French artist joining the program is pianist Hélène Grimaud.
Gershwin & Ravel opens with Gershwin’s Cuban Overture. That is followed by  Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G. The second half of the program begins with Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales. The program concludes with, what else, An American in Paris.
There are multiple reasons this program fascinates. Gershwin’s Cuban Overture is not played nearly as frequently as the composer’s other works. Likewise you are probably very familiar with Bolero or La Valse, but Valses nobles et sentimentales is a lesser-performed work by Ravel.
Grimaud is an excellent pianist who has regularly performed with Bringuier. As you’ll read in our interview with him later this week, the two are so comfortable with each other they rarely feel the need to discuss the work they are performing before the first orchestra rehearsal. The Piano Concerto in G is less well-known than Ravel’s Piano Concerto for Left Hand.
And then there’s An American in Paris. I, for one, will always think of Gene Kelly’s phenomenal direction and choreography of the ballet in the Oscar-winning film from 1951 when I hear this music.
If you like jazz, but are unsure if you’ll like classical music, this is a great concert to dip your toes into. If you like classical music, but aren’t sure if you like jazz, you, too, will find plenty to engage with at these concerts.
For tickets to one of the four performances of Gershwin & Ravel, please go here.
*This story, which has been around for ages, may or may not actually be true.
Photo of George Gershwin courtesy of the New York Public Library.