Ravel's Mother Goose | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Pianist Louis Lortie stars in a concert of Ravel and Poulenc – music with a certain je-ne-sais-quoi.

Naughty, but very nice. They do things differently in France, where elegance and seduction dance a delicate valse, and enjoyment is a serious business. So when Ravel opens a book of children’s fairy tales, you know to expect something a bit more sumptuous – and a lot more magical – than just the tales of Mother Goose.

Our Parisian guest conductor, Jean-Luc Tingaud, brings all his Gallic wit to Poulenc’s delicious Les Biches – a celebration of youthful mischief beneath blue Riviera skies – and partners a legend among French pianists, the inimitable Louis Lortie, with Ravel’s brilliant concerto. Expect Spanish sunlight, the smoky aroma of jazz, and piano playing so flamboyant that it’ll dazzle your ears.