- Ravel wrote Piano Trio in a minor (his only piano trio) in 1914, just as WWI broke out. The composer rushed to complete the trio within five weeks so that he could volunteer for service in the war effort.
- Fun fact – Ravel became a driver in the motor transport corps and named his vehicle Adélaïde after his ballet.1
- In a nod to his homeland, Ravel’s piano trio contains several Basque themes, particularly in the opening of the first movement and throughout the second movement. Interestingly, the composer had originally intended the musical material for a piano concerto, though the concerto was never completed.2
Sources
- Barbara L. Kelly, “Ravel, (Joseph) Maurice,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed February 1, 2023, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000052145.
- Stephen Johnson, “Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor,” Musical Remembrances performed by the Neave Trio, Chandos 20167, 2022, compact disc.
Cut IDs
41098 16228 20337 24969 42241