I performed this piece a couple of seasons ago in the concert series that I lead, the Chiarina Chamber Players, with pianist Efi Hackmey and violinist Todd Phillips of the Orion Quartet. What strikes me about this piece is that the sound world is truly orchestral, despite it being a piano trio. Ravel was renowned for his orchestrations; he created sounds that no other composer did. So, by default, his orchestral writing is in our ears – for example, I hear flute solos and trumpet sections playing in triads and timpani in the piano. As a string player, you can think a little more outside the box with the sound you’re creating – it doesn’t need to sound like a violin or cello. You can showcase the versatility of your sound with different gradations of bow speed and vibrato. Otherwise it’ll sound pedantic and colourless.
From Maurice Ravel Piano Trio Urtext Edition, paperbound Piano Trios Ed. Peter Jost Pf fingering Pascal Rogé Order no. HN 972 · ISMN 979-02018-0972-4. Printed with permission of G. Henle Verlag München © 2015