Maurice Ravel's Piano Concert in G Major

Tonight I attended a performance of The National Symphony Orchestra and I'm pretty sure I left a better person.

The program lineup:

Dusapin's Apex
Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major (featuring pianist Yundi Li)
Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14

Apex is contemporary, influenced by Monet, Mallarme, and Debussy; Symphonie fantastique is 49 minutes of musical storytelling--innovatively linear, dramatic, compelling; but the real meat and bones of the whole concert was Ravel's Concerto. If I may quote from the Playbill: "The concerto's sparkling introduction first presents a taste of chinoiserie with ornate and exotic filigree. Soon, though, the American character emerges, especially with the entrance of a five-note motive characterized by its lowered third scale degree, a classic 'blue' note. The slow movement is one of Ravel's great melodic gems, first presented as an understated wordless song and then elaborated with free-flowing linear elaboration and lush orchestral harmonies. The Presto finale features breathless piano progressions with raucous commentary from the orchestra. The bright E-flat clarinet and sliding trombone provide especially saucy outbursts, while the trumpet adds a touch of mock-ceremonial fanfare, fitting the very nature of this fanciful concerto."

I include video recordings of all three movements of the concerto here because the concerto in its entirety is a delightful and enriching experience, but it is the second movement, the Adagio assai movement, that brought me to tears. Listen for the "free-flowing linear elaboration" 6 minutes and 57 seconds into the video--it lasts for almost three blissful minutes before it rolls into an extended trill to finish off the movement.