This moment of sublime sound is one of a few works by Ravel that my piano teacher assigned me recently.
Ravel wrote it for a sight-reading competition, apparently, and there is this incredible in-working of the hands when the music goes into the upper register which is absolutely indiscernible in the sound itself, yet pulling it off in this gentle string of simple sound is heart-stopping. If you're a pianist/can understand sheet music, look it up. You'll see where it is.
Anyway, this piece. It's really short, take a moment and stop everything. Refresh.
Enjoy.
I love Ravel so much. I think he is underrated, even at the level of admiration he has attained. He is tender, playful, and emotive. I feel, as a musician, that one can also put themselves into their performance, pulling out their own feelings, insecurities, joys, sadnesses. He definitely should have written more string quartets, that's for certain if his sole representative is any judge:
Couldn't agree more. With my bias, I wouldn't mind him composing a couple more In terms of sentimentality, there's this thrill in knowing how difficult some of his pieces can be to perform, because in the back of your head you know you're about to break a sweat over the quietest, prettiest flutterings you've ever heard. Meanwhile your fingers are absolutely and possibly bending time.