The Piano Concerto in G major was completed in 1931 by French composer Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937). Ravel said that in this piece he was not aiming to be profound but to entertain, in the manner of Mozart and Saint-Saëns. Among its other influences are jazz and Basque folk music. And entertaining it is, for me the best piano concerto of the twentieth century. Sandwiched between two "busy" movements, the Adagio Assai middle movement is hauntingly beautiful. The average playing time is 22 minutes (AllMusic). My version is by Pascal Rogé and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal under Charles Dutoit on a Decca/London CD.
