Darkness and pathos: Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand

Nicholas McCarthy

Nicholas McCarthy studies the cadenza from Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand

Paul Wittgenstein plays for Erich Wolfgang Korngold

By Lawrence Dunn, 07 March 2025

Loading, please wait...

“you hear that darkness, that angst – but then this majestic melody emerges out of the cacophony”

Danny Riley, 28th October

From fulfilling funerary functions, to eulogising friends and fellow artists, or lamenting the waste of war: here are some of the finest examples of music written in mourning.

Routes beyond: Junyan Chen on curating Leeds Chamber Series

Lawrence Dunn, 14th October

Award-winning pianist Junyan Chen talks about curating this year’s Leeds International Chamber Series, making new arrangements of repertoire, and the importance of chamber music for pianists.

ラヴェルの音楽の香り：神田寛明が語る《ダフニスとクロエ》

Bachtrack, 3rd October

NHK交響楽団の首席フルート奏者が、オーケストラの各奏者が華麗なソロを披露する、ラヴェルの最大規模の管弦楽曲について語る。

The scent of Ravel: Hiroaki Kanda on Daphnis et Chloé

Bachtrack, 3rd October

The NHK Symphony Orchestra’s principal flautist talks about playing Ravel’s largest orchestral work, which features virtuosic solos for players all across the orchestra.

Willingness to take risks: Jesús Herrera joins the LPO

Peter Quantrill, 5th September

The London Philharmonic new Artistic Director talks of his enthusiasm for the orchestra's forthcoming ventures, both in London and in its travels across the South Coast.

Immersed in Ravel: Seong-Jin Cho

Mark Pullinger, 21st August

The South Korean pianist talks about his love of Ravel, and performing with the Czech Philharmonic, in their season opener and Asian tour this autumn.

Lawrence Dunn

Lawrence is commissioning editor at Bachtrack. He is a composer, improviser, pianist and writer. He has taught at Cambridge, Huddersfield and Sheffield universities. He has written music for, among others the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Modern, Slagwerk Den Haag, Philip Thomas, Juliet Fraser, Ilya Gringolts, Plus-Minus, Exaudi, Apartment House and Explore Ensemble.

Darkness and pathos: Nicholas McCarthy on Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand