Output details

Concerto for piano and twelve instruments

Having composed a concerto for piano and larger orchestra in 2001, I wanted to explore the various strategies for interaction between solo piano and a smaller group. In 'Entourages', the piano was surrounded by different groups chosen from within the orchestra (which, lacking violas and cellos, gave more room in the middle register for the soloist). The present work is not quite a 'standard' ensemble (if such a thing exists) since I wanted to delimit the available colours. So this includes two each of flutes, clarinets and (more unusually) violas. Having set out my palette, the four highly contrasting movements allow many and varied relationships between the 'prima inter pares' piano and members of the ensemble.

Each movement has a clearly defined character, 1. a neo-baroque toccata interspersed and overlaid with chorales, 2. a tight little scherzo and trio with the spotlight on flutes, woodblock and strings (omitting the much-used clarinets), and 3. my 'take' on a classical/ romantic slow movement. The somewhat looser finale ties up the piece psychologically, while avoiding too pat a resolution. The research aspect of his piece lies in its exploration of the interface between chamber and orchestral composition (for example, movt 3. is modelled on the wonderful slow movements from Mozart's piano concertos) and how this can relate to the fluid change of musical topics which the classical masters brought to such a high level of mastery.