SYMPHONY COMMISSIONS AND PREMIERES NEW PIANO CONCERTO
Kansas City Symphony commissions and premieres new piano concerto:
Lost Souls by Avner Dorman
“a
séance for piano and orchestra" -- ghosts of music's past weave through
the three movement concerto
(Kansas City) - The
Kansas City Symphony will present the world premiere of Lost Souls - A Piano Concerto by Israeli composer Avner Dorman on November 20-22. Lost Souls tell the haunting story of a séance summoning ghosts of
concertos past, ending in an exorcism. Praised by Gramophone
Magazine as “a fresh, young voice, worth following,” Avner Dorman is a rising
star composer whose orchestral works were recently performed by the New York
Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Dorman
wrote Lost Souls for Israeli pianist Alon Goldstein, who will be
performing the work in Kansas City. For
Dorman, this work is channeled straight from his relationship with the pianist:
"I love Alon's playing. He seems like he is from a different era — the way
he carries himself, his mannerisms — it seems like he was born and lived in the
19th century," Dorman recalls. He wanted to capture Goldstein's special
quality in this new work and took what he could from their relationship and his
knowledge of Goldstein's musicianship — Goldstein has performed Dorman's Piano
Sonata No. 2 close to forty times. Dorman says "one thing I truly admire
about Goldstein's playing is that he can go quite crazy during the sonata, but
in the end he is a very refined classical pianist, with all of the notes coming
out very clear, as if he had predetermined all of the dynamics and
articulations — he has very stylized playing. I wrote this concerto to give him
those moments, on the one hand, but to also give him the simple melodies, to
give him room to express his unique musical persona."
Goldstein recently performed Dorman's Second Sonata at a
Town Hall recital in New York. Allan Kozinn's review in The New York Times called it "an irresistible powerhouse performance."
“The orchestra and
I have the privilege of presenting the remarkable music of composer Avner
Dorman with the world premiere of his new concerto Lost Souls, which he
wrote for us and our soloist, the brilliant pianist Alon Goldstein.
Rhythmically charged and inventive in its lyricism, this is music that I am
proud to introduce here in Kansas City,” said Music Director Michael Stern.
Lost Souls was commissioned
by the Kansas City Symphony under a grant from the Miller Nichols Charitable
Foundation, Kansas City, Missouri; the Seattle Commissioning Club; Patricia
Tall-Takacs and Gary Takacs with support from an anonymous donor and
International Arts Foundation. Additional support for the
performances was received from the Consulate General of Israel to the
Midwest.
“Michael Stern is a
passionate advocate for new music, strongly believing that audiences should
hear the best music of both yesterday and today. The Symphony was
very blessed to receive a generous multi-year grant from the Miller Nichols
Charitable Foundation to establish a new music commissioning program, and
Michael Stern and I have been working for several seasons to identify the right
composers and to fit our commissions into their schedules. We were
pleased to find two opportunities this season to commission two new concerti
for two exceptional soloists – the first is this new piano concerto for Alon
Goldstein by Avner Dorman. We are grateful for the generous support
from the Seattle Commissioning Club and the International Arts Foundation, both
of whom joined us to make this project possible. Virtuoso
performers and brilliant composers offer a collaboration that we find very
exciting, and we feel certain our audiences will agree,”
noted Executive Director Frank Byrne.
Stern will lead the
orchestra on Friday-Saturday, November 20-21 at 8pm at the Lyric Theatre in
downtown Kansas City, and again at 2pm on Sunday, November 22 at Yardley Hall
on the Johnson County Community College campus. “Concert Comments,”
a pre-concert discussion about the program led by Music Director Michael Stern
will take place one hour before concert time at each location.
Tickets are
available by calling the Symphony Box Office at 816.471.0400 or online at www.kcsymphony.org. Box office hours
are 10am-5pm Monday-Friday.
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Alon Goldstein on Lost
Souls:
What makes this
project intriguing, interesting, different and very attractive:
“First of all, Avner’s concept of the piece is incredibly imaginative.
Initially, before talking to Avner about the piece I had put down all sorts of
ideas. At our first meeting, when he shared with me the premise, the focal
point of this new concerto I became silent. He saw and heard it so clearly in
his mind. There was nothing for me to add verbally - just to continue to
inspire him with my playing.
The idea of starting a piece with a séance! Are we back in the 1960s
with all this experimental ‘stuff’, or are we really going back in time trying
to relive a lost era and bring to life all these Lost Souls - souls of
the great piano concerti - Grieg, Chopin, Ravel and Rachmaninov? The result
ends up being what we hope will be a concerto that opens a new era.
I have been practicing the piece now for almost two months and something very
interesting and strange is happening - curiousity!! It happened to me
maybe a dozen times so far - I would be practicing alone somewhere, and
suddenly some people will come and, looking very excited, they will ask me
questions about what they've just heard, wanting to hear more and know more.
There is something intoxicating in the music, as if it casts a spell on the
people who come in contact with it. You see it in their eyes.”
Musical Analysis by
the composer:
In three movements
performed without pause (attacca). Timing – 25 minutes
I.
Séance – Allegro – Adagio –Allegro –Presto
II.
Twilight – Adagio – Scherzo “Mischievousso” – Adagio
III.
Exorcism – Presto
1st movement – closely related to sonata form with a short introduction in the high
strings and a concluding coda in the tonality of D. (i) The opening haunting
motif (the Séance motif) consists of soft high string slides over an interval
of a minor third. It is followed by the soloist’s wild entrance cadenza – a
hard landing back from the after life. (ii) The main motif of the exposition is
a major second mordent (A-G-A). The exposition explores this motif through
various toccata-like sections morphing the simple motif into a variety of
different themes. Dramatically, the soloist is trying to remember his old
favorite repertoire, hence the allusions to great piano concertos of the past
(Ravel, Bach, Prokofiev, Lutoslawski, and Ligeti in the first movement). As the
exposition progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that the afterlife (the
pianist) and our world (the orchestra) cannot fully synchronize and are bound
to clash. (iii) The development begins with an expressive adagio (first soft,
then passionate, and soft again). After a return to the opening ‘Séance motif,’
the development proceeds to a fast section which explores various polymetric,
polytonal, and polyrhythmic combinations of the various motifs of the movement.
(iv) In the recapitulation, the motifs of the entire movement collide more
aggressively. The highest point of complexity resolves to four octaves of the
note D in the piano and strings. (v) The coda is the catharsis of the first
movement resolving its harmonic, rhythmic, and emotional conflict.
2nd movement – in modified Rondo Form: A, B, A’, B’, A’’, C, A&B. The
ritornellos (A sections) in the orchestra are of an otherworldly nature
alluding to the ‘Séance motif’. The solo (B) sections are very simple and
reminiscent of some of the earliest keyboard music we know (like that of the
Swedish composer Jan
Pieterszoon Sweelinck). The solo (B) sections represent the pianist’s ‘return
engagement.’ After a short third ritornello (A’’) a mischievous scherzo (with
hints of Messiaen) in the piano and some percussion leads back to the ‘Séance
motif’, now appearing in the woodwinds and not as ghostly as before. The final
ritornello combines the A and B sections in a solemn coda in C major. At the
very end of the second movement ‘Séance motif’ appears for the last time
summoning the last, and most evil, spirit in the concerto.
3rd movement – in A A B form – is an exorcism scene. The last soul conjured will
not leave the stage. The orchestra performs an exorcism ritual (in changing
meters but mostly in 13/16 meter) to vanquish it. The piano fights back (now
mostly in 7/8 meter) and does not show signs of fatigue. The orchestra splits
up and the different sections of the orchestra attempt to exorcise the spirit
separately. As the sections join forces again, they finally manage to
defeat the demon.
About the Kansas City
Symphony
Led
by Music Director Michael Stern, the Kansas City Symphony’s 80-member orchestra
performs more than 50 concerts on three series (Classical, Family, Pops) during
its 42-week season, September through June. In addition, the Symphony performs
non-series concerts such as Bank of America Celebration at the Station and Symphony in the Flint Hills, educational programs, community outreach
performances, and serves as the orchestra for the Lyric Opera and the Kansas City
Ballet. Classical performances are broadcast weekly on KCUR 89.3 FM during the
Kansas City Symphony Hour, Thursdays at 9 pm. Visit the Kansas City Symphony
online at kcsymphony.org.
