The fourth movement, played attacca from the third movement, is written with a restless alternation between 5/4 and 7/4 time signatures.

Ravel himself stated, "When I was little, my mother always used to sing Basque songs to me," and many Basque songs are in 5/4 and 7/4 time, evoking a sense of nostalgia as if recalling his own childhood. (Musical Example 5 / Fourth Movement, Rehearsal Mark 14)

Carried by the trills of the string instruments, the piano's glissandos and continuously played chords build up the piece. In the middle section, a fanfare-like motif emerges amidst a chaotic musical texture, and although the atmosphere becomes ominous, the brilliance increases towards the end, concluding the piece magnificently, filled with a sense of exhilaration.

(Musical Example 5 / Fourth Movement, Rehearsal Mark 14)