Pierre Jalbert – Violin Concerto
Violin Concerto (2017) | 26'
for violin and chamber orchestra
2(2.pic).2.2.2-2.2.0.0-1perc(vib, xylo, crot [2 octaves], 1 timp, b.d)-pno-str
Commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for Margaret Batjer, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra for Steven Copes, and the Milwaukee Symphony for Frank Almond
Premiered June 9, 2017 at Ordway Concert Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Thomas Zehetmair, conductor • Steven Copes, violin
Click here to view the score
Composer note
My Violin Concerto is in two movements of contrasting character. The first movement, marked 'soulful and mysterious', begins with a slow introduction and eventually transitions into a scherzando section. The opening explores the violin’s lyrical and expressive qualities as it hovers above an ethereal strings and percussion texture. The middle section of the movement is a dynamic scherzo of sorts, almost becoming a separate movement in itself before the opening finally returns to conclude the movement.
The second movement, marked 'with great energy' moves freely back and forth between frenetic, pulse-oriented music and freely slow, non-pulsed music. These slower sections contain lyrical quarter-tone pitch-bending in the violin, and this serves as the primary motivic material in this section. Eventually, the fast music takes over and leads to a fiery cadenza.
This work was commissioned by a consortium of orchestras and their concertmasters as soloists; the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra with Steven Copes, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra with Margaret Batjer, and the Milwaukee Symphony with Frank Almond.
- Pierre Jalbert
Click here to view a live performance with Steven Copes
___________________________________________________________________
For more information
on Pierre Jalbert, visit
schott-music.com.