Ravel's plans for a piano concerto can be traced back to 1906, but it was only in early 1929 that the composer began to work seriously on it. He later stated that he wrote it “in the spirit of the concertos of Mozart and Saint-Saëns,” with the music being “cheerful and brilliant” and not “aiming for depth or dramatic effects.” The outer movements are characterized by rhythmic drive and influences from jazz, while the slow movement, with its subtle shifts of accented rhythms, is entirely dedicated to melody. Along with manuscripts and print editions, a recording made under Ravel's supervision by the work's donor, Marguerite Long, was used for this Urtext edition by Henle. Since its successful premiere in January 1932, the concerto has become part of the repertoire of all major pianists, including Pascal Rogé, the French musical expert, who provided the fingerings for the solo part.