Boris Giltburg

In his fascinating personal blog, the great Israeli pianist has written of the long chain of dance music written by Ravel, which, he says, permeates his works – notably waltzes, including the first piece on tonight’s programme, written in 1911. But in his perceptive and detailed literary musings he is particularly eloquent on Ravel’s dark tone-poem (1919-20). ‘The waltz and those who dance it are utterly defeated and destroyed’, reads his interpretation of the close of La Valse.