Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) Piano Trio (1914) I. Modéré 0:00 II. Pantoum (Assez vif) 8:22 III. Passacaille (Très large) IV. Final (Animé) Claremont Trio: Emily Bruskin, violin Julia Bruskin, cello Donna Kwong, piano Maurice Ravel's Trio for piano, violin and cello is a chamber work composed in 1914. Dedicated to Ravel's counterpoint teacher André Gedalge, the trio was first performed in Paris in January 1915, by Alfredo Casella (piano), Gabriel Willaume (violin), and Louis Feuillard (cello). This piece requires a high level of virtuosity for all instruments and is widely regarded as a technical masterpiece. Ravel had been planning to write a trio for at least six years before beginning work in earnest in March 1914. At the outset, Ravel remarked to his pupil Maurice Delage, "I've written my trio. Now all I need are the themes."[1] During the summer of 1914, Ravel did his compositional work in the French Basque commune of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Ravel was born across the bay in the Basque town of Ciboure; his mother was Basque, and he felt a deep identification with his Basque heritage. During the Trio's composition, Ravel was also working on a piano concerto based on Basque themes entitled Zazpiak Bat (Basque for "The Seven are One"). Although eventually abandoned, this project left its mark on the Trio, particularly in the opening movement, which Ravel later noted was "Basque in colouring." While initial progress on the Trio was slow, the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 <b>...</b>