The White Hat Guide to some Magical Moments in Classical Music

In the second movement of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major the piano commences alone with a simple soft oom-pah-pah accompaniment. To this the pianist then adds a simple beautiful lyrical melody. Few composers would have the courage to have an orchestra sit idle while the soloist plays something that is within the technical capabilities of a mildly talented child. (Such occurrences may be common in pop music where they can be covered by lighting, special effects and a fuzz box, but it takes a particular nerve for a classical composer to do the same thing in the objective glare of the classical concert hall.) . However the audience becomes more absorbed with the simple melody played by the soloist. Somewhere along the way, listeners become aware that the orchestra has quietly joined the soloist and has been accompanying them for - they're not sure how long. When this realisation occurs varies from listener to listener. It doesn't matter when it occurs - taht is one of the magical moments in classical music.