PIANO CONCERTO
Chen Yi
About this work:
Commissioned by the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra, New York, for Maestro Dennis Russell Davies and pianist Gwendolyn Mok in 1992, the concerto is dedicated to Maestro Dennis Russell Davies, the first American conductor who commissioned the composer a symphonic work for a professional orchestra in the States, and Ms. Gwendolyn Mok, who invited the composer to write this work. The composer also wants to express her great gratitude to Prof. Mario Davidovsky, for his vivid advice in composition concept and orchestral writing on this work.
Piano Concerto for piano and orchestra is in one movement. The creative idea of this composition is based on the most popular Chinese original folk tune Baban (Eight Beats), in which one can find the golden section and groupings of beats and phrases according to the numbers from the Fibonacci Series, and the variation method according to traditional Chinese ensemble music. The Piano Concerto uses two enlarged forms of Baban as a slow-moving background melody, embellished with groups of notes from Baban itself as well as two other source materials--a twelve-tone set and a basic chord. The momentum builds up to the climax in different levels according to the golden sections in the concerto. General impressions of the style of Chinese mountain singing and Chinese instrumental playing also influence the sounds that are heard in the piano solo part and the Western orchestra. It's the ideal of the composer to meet East and West congenially in spirit through her musical language.
The work was premiered in New York, by Brooklyn Philharmonic and pianist Margaret Leng Tan, under the baton of Maestro Dennis Russell Davies, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, on Oct. 14 & 15, 1994.
Version: Solo piano and full orchestra
Year composed: 1992
Duration: 00:16:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Orchestra with Soloist(s)
Instrumentation:
Instrumentation notes: Piano Solo, 3(3 Picc)3(EH)3(Bcl)3(Cbsn) 4331 T, P(3), Str.