The American composers

Only two of the evening's four composers are actually American, but French Maurice Ravel wrote his piano concerto in the wake of a very successful American tour, and Martinů lived in the United States for a number of years – also when he composed The Rock. The work is a symphonic poem that shows Martinů's fascinating ability to use the rich sound possibilities of the orchestra. Ravel combines several styles in his work – including jazz, but it al...