This program celebrates the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel’s birth, exploring his profound influence on 20th-century music and the enduring resonance of his artistry. The program reveals a vibrant tapestry of sound shaped by early 20th-century Paris—a city that inspired and sustained countless musicians. Showcasing works that connect tradition and innovation, tragedy and triumph, this concert honors not only Ravel’s legacy but also the resilience of the human spirit. The life and music of Simon Laks, in particular, remind us of art’s power to endure and inspire, even in the darkest times. From the elegance of Beethoven and the École de Paris to the passion of Tzigane, this program celebrates music’s timeless ability to transcend boundaries and illuminate our shared history.

The concert opens with Simon Laks’s Trois Pièces, embodying the refined clarity and elegance of the École de Paris, a circle of immigrant composers who flourished in interwar Paris. Laks, a Polish-born composer and Holocaust survivor, fused his Polish roots with French sophistication, creating works of precision and lyricism. His Trois pièces de concert (1933, published in 1935 for cello and piano) reflects Ravel’s aesthetic values, blending diverse national influences with the subtle rhythmic energy of jazz. Laks’s own version for violin and piano, lost over time, was reconstructed by Judith Ingolfsson and published by Boosey & Hawkes in 2014. The final movement, Mouvement perpétuel, establishes a direct connection to Ravel’s Violin Sonata. These pieces reflect the artistic vitality of a prewar Parisian world that championed creative exchange and innovation.

Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Piano is a cornerstone of the violin-piano repertoire. Completed in 1927, the sonata reflects Ravel’s fascination with the interplay of contrasting timbres, brought to life through his inventive use of jazz idioms in the iconic “Blues” movement. This work epitomizes Ravel’s ability to marry tradition and modernity, presenting a rich dialogue of textures and harmonic colors.  

The first half concludes with the luminous “Louange à l’Éternité de Jésus,” the final movement of Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time. Though Messiaen’s compositional language is distinct from Ravel’s, both composers share a commitment to exploring instrumental sonorities and emotional depth. Composed in a German prisoner-of-war camp, Messiaen’s quartet conveys profound spiritual resilience, resonating with the enduring legacy of artistic creation in the face of adversity.  

The program’s second half begins with Beethoven’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 10, Op. 96, his final violin sonata. Written for Pierre Rode, a preeminent figure of the French Violin School, the sonata balances lyrical elegance with subtle virtuosity, reflecting the refined artistry of Rode and the classical ideals that influenced Ravel’s generation. This historical connection underscores the continuity between Beethoven’s era and the French musical tradition that Ravel inherited.  

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