Composer Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) was a master of color and clarity—equally at home with intimate chamber textures and orchestral shimmer. Explore the program below with notes and embedded listening. 

Introduction & Allegro (1905) 

Commissioned by the Érard harp company, this gem for harp, flute, clarinet, and string quartet often feels like a miniature harp concerto. The Introduction unveils the sound world; the Allegro passes themes around the ensemble, with the harp alternating between accompanist and soloist, culminating in a luminous cadenza and a soft close. 

Listen: 
Full performance (Orchestre de Paris ensemble) 
Harp Cadenza excerpt 

While you listen, consider: 

• How the harp “leads” then blends back into the texture. 
• Hemiola and rhythmic contrasts that gently tilt the pulse. 
• The cadenza’s way of recollecting earlier ideas before the hush at the end. 

String Quartet in F Major (1902–03) 

Written in Ravel’s late twenties, the Quartet weds youthful ardor to remarkable craft. Four movements are tied together by related ideas: lyric poise, rhythmic sparkle, a nocturne-like slow movement, and a finale that gathers earlier threads into energetic motion. 

Listen: 

• Movement I: Allegro moderato – Très doux  
• Movement II: Assez vif – très  
• Movement III: Très lent 
• Movement IV: Vif et agité 

 While you listen: 

• Notice how motives reappear across movements in changed light. 
• Track the balance of clarity (form) and color (timbre) that defines Ravel’s voice. 

Piano Trio in A Minor (1914) 

Begun in the Basque seaside town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz as World War I loomed, the Trio blends regional dance impulses with soaring lyricism and symphonic weight. Ravel completed it quickly—then tried to enlist (he later drove an ambulance)—but the score itself is meticulously crafted. 

Guide to Movements: 

• Movement I: Modéré — flowing lines and luminous piano writing; you may hear Basque-inflected gestures. 
• Movement II: Pantoum: Assez vif — a scintillating scherzo/trio with lively cross-rhythms. 
• Movement III: Passacaille: Très large — noble slow movement built over a repeating bass pattern. 
• Movement IV: Final: Animé — surging, orchestral-in-scale energy to the end. 

Listen: 

• Full performance (Beaux Arts Trio) 
• Movement II: Pantoum 
• Movement III 

 What to listen for: 

• Contrast between piano’s percussive attack and strings’ sustained lines. 
• How the repeating bass of the Passacaille anchors long arcs of melody. 
• The finale’s symphonic sweep achieved by just three players. 

Read more: Click here to read the full program notes 
What are your favorite recordings of these works?