Street Concerto, for piano and orchestra
Bruce Lazarus
About this work:
brucelazarus2k@yahoo.com
It is said that in composing Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin aimed to "make a lady out of jazz." I had similar intentions in composing Street Concerto.
This 20-minute work for solo piano and orchestra in three movements (fast-slow-fast is my most ambitious piece in which the vocabulary of rock music and jazz (natural musical dialects to me) are inextricably intertwined and wedded to the language and developmental techniques of contemporary concert music (also natural to me).
I also aimed to make my concerto fun to listen to – bouncy, always slightly humorous, unpredictable, spiked with pungent bitonality and dissonance which would come across as hot and spicy…and fun.
Street Concerto is a major vehicle for the solo pianist, and as of June, 2004 is a work in search of a world premiere. The full score is in the printing stage – a version for two pianos (piano 1 as soloist) is currently available.
The recorded selection is a careful MIDI performance of the first movement, from about the half-way point to the end of the movement. Horn and piano interlude based on thematic materials heard previously. Recap of initial piano entrance in full orchestra. Coda.
to contact:
brucelazarus2k@yahoo.com
Version: piano and orchestra
Year composed: 2004
Duration: 00:20:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Orchestra with Soloist(s)
Instrumentation: 1 Piccolo, 2 Flute, 2 Oboe, 1 English Horn, 2 Clarinet, 1 Bass Clarinet, 2 Bassoon, 1 Contrabassoon, 4 Horn in F, 2 Trumpet, 2 Trombone, 1 Bass Trombone, 1 Tuba, 4 Timpani, 1 Percussion (General), 1 Marimba, 1 Xylophone, ,1 Piano soloist(s), 1 Strings (General)