Orchestration

for solo piano, chamber orchestra (fl, cl, perc, vln, vla, vc, d.b.) and electronics

Duration

8 minutes

Commissioned by/Premiere

Red Light New Music / Yegor Shevtsov
September 20, 2010 at Symphony Space

Score

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About the Project

Our original idea in arranging Mozart’s 9th Piano Concerto was to create a garage band version of the work. The initial conception was to create a ‘straightforward’ arrangement, with perhaps some peculiar orchestration. We established one rule from the onset that all of the composers were to adhere to: DO NOT alter the solo piano part in any way, shape or form. But as the old maxim goes – rules are meant to be broken, and here we are… In the end, in order for each of us to discover our own relationship to Mozart’s work, we each broke the rule. Chris, Vince and myself had to stumble upon our own way to work with the music. The result of our work and endeavors, which we will hear tonight, is indeed both a deviant arrangement as well as a playful reflection.

— Scott Wollschleger

About the Movement

In the second movement, I eschewed the original orchestral accompaniment altogether. Mozart creates such beautiful and self-contained solo parts in his concerti that I thought this was more than enough material; this also allowed me to then place my own personal stamp on the music by more or less “filling in the blanks.” As a result, the piano presents the material for the movement alone and stark, like an operatic recitative. I then filled in the “holes” — that is, moments when the orchestra would play without the piano. Those moments are filled with both heavily processed electronic versions of the solo piano part as well as with quiet ambient sounds in the ensemble. As the movement progresses, these “holes” become the actual stuff of the movement until finally the original piano part, the “holes,” and the electronics all join together for an original cadenza (for the left hand only) that was created by the pianist.

— Christopher Cerrone