Event overview
Promo Code
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Standard
$55-$145
Concession
$50-$145
Child (under 18)
$20
$8 transaction fee / order
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Available as part of the Thursday Night Plus, Geelong and Saturday Matinee Series.
Individual tickets available from 14 October 2026 at 10am
Dates
Thursday 15 April 2027
7:30pm at Hamer Hall
Friday 16 April 2027
7:30pm at Costa Hall, Geelong
Saturday 17 April 2027
2:00pm at Hamer Hall
Duration
Approx. 1 hour and 50 minutes including a 20-minute interval
Accessibility
-
Wheelchair, walker and scooter accessible
-
Assistive listening devices available
-
Service animals allowed
-
Companion Card accepted
About this performance
Program
Tailleferre Ballade for Piano and Orchestra
Ravel Piano Concerto in G
Debussy La Mer
Ravel La valse
Sit back and relax – Ravel didn’t want you to take this too seriously.
Known to absorb the musical influences around him, jazz was the subject of Ravel’s most recent musical love affair as he composed the effervescent Piano Concerto in G.
After touring the United States for six months, he incorporated the hustle and bustle of American life into his latest piece by way of syncopated rhythms and blues-inflected harmonies. Ravel famously referred to the concerto as a “luxurious diversion” and didn’t want the audience to dwell on any prospective profundity. So do as the man said and don’t think too hard about it – let MSO favourite Alexandra Dariescu divert your imagination to Ravel’s New York in the late 1920s.
Ravel’s humility rubbed off on his close friend, Germaine Tailleferre, who composed her wholly unpretentious Ballade for Piano and Orchestra in 1920. Often overshadowed by her peers’ work but entirely worth a second look, the Ballade perfectly sets the scene for this program of Parisian playfulness and beauty.
The atmosphere shifts with Debussy’s La Mer, restless and mysterious, before ending with another of Ravel’s reflections on a musical fascination, this time the Viennese waltz. But don’t expect to be dancing in the aisles! La valse turns feverish and distorted, ending in orchestral chaos. Yutaka Sado makes his debut with the MSO in this performance.
Featuring
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Yutaka Sado conductor
Alexandra Dariescu piano
Enhance your experience
Want to learn more about the music being performed? Arrive early for an informative and entertaining pre-concert talk.
15 April at 6:45pm
17 April at 1:15pm
Hamer Hall Stalls Foyer
16 April at 6:45pm
Costa Hall, Geelong
