Jean-Yves Thibaudet: Tiny Desk Concert

Tom Huizenga | March 21, 2025
When Jean-Yves Thibaudet visited NPR to play a Tiny Desk, everything about him was stylish. His shoes were custom made for him by the late Vivienne Westwood, his jacket was by Simon Porte Jacquemus, his necklace, Cartier.

When he sat down to play, arguably only one thing seemed to be missing: a shiny, 9-foot grand piano. But Thibaudet, like many great pianists who have graced our office space, understands the vibe of our beloved little concert series. He knows that the point is not to be playing on the largest piano possible. Instead, he delighted in bringing music by Villa-Lobos, Brahms and Ravel to our diminutive — but meticulously groomed — upright. And the colors and textures he conjured from that trusty box of wood and wire was unforgettable.

Thibaudet begins with a firecracker of a piece from the early 20th century — two-minutes of effervescence by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. Watch the pianist’s fingers in a blur, stabbing hundreds of notes like a sewing machine. It was an encore favorite of the great pianist Arthur Rubinstein, Thibaudet explains.

What follows could not be more different. The Intermezzo Op. 118, No. 2, is classic late Brahms, filled with muted, fall afternoon light and whispered inner voices. Thibaudet ends with a tribute to one of his idols, Maurice Ravel, whose 150th birth anniversary is being celebrated far and wide. Turns out that one of the composer’s biggest hits, the Pavane for a Dead Princess, was not among his own favorites. And the evocative title was merely tacked on as a poetic afterthought. Still, the wide palette of coloring and shading Thibaudet offers is a masterclass in how to make an upright piano sound like a symphony orchestra.

SET LIST
Heitor Villa-Lobos: “O polichinelo” (from A prole do bebê No. 1)
Johannes Brahms: Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118, No. 2
Maurice Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte

MUSICIANS
Jean-Yves Thibaudet: piano

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Tom Huizenga
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant
Audio Engineer: Andie Heuther
Production Assistants: Ashley Pointer, Dora Levite
Photographer: Alanté Serene
Tiny Desk Team: Maia Stern, Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

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