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Bernard Rands' Preludes, for Piano, in World Premiere by Robert Levin at the Ruhr International Piano Festival

May. 04, 2007

Bernard Rands’ Preludes, for piano, sees its world premiere this month at the Ruhr International Piano Festival in Essen, Germany. Co-commissioned by Maria and Robert A. Skirnick and the Ruhr International Piano Festival, the preludes are dedicated to the pianist Robert Levin who will be performing the work on May 15, 2007. Mr. Rands elaborates on the piece’s origin and its inspiration:

“The creative challenge was to compose a work whose 12 sections are integrated into a formal whole at the same time as each Prelude has its own formal integrity and thus can be selected and performed separately from the others. Robert Levin's experience, skill and knowledge of early keyboard music(s) was influential in determining the spirit and character of each Prelude.

“When Debussy completed his Preludes he wrote that he thought they would take their place 'to the left of Schumann and to the right of Chopin.' I would suggest that mine are to the left of Bill Evans and to the right of Oscar Petersen, without implying any specific jazz influence but simply that the work of those two great jazz composer/pianists has always been a joy to me.”

Also featured this year at Ruhr are two works by Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano and Toccata for Violin and Piano; Alban Berg’s Sonata Op. 1; and six piano and chamber pieces by Wolfgang Rihm. 

Bernard Rands
Preludes, for piano (2007)
40'

To learn more about the music of Bernard Rands, please visit www.schott-music.com or www.bernardrands.com

For further information on the Ruhr International Piano Festival, go to www.klavierfestival.de.

More about Conlon Nancarrow’s life and works can be found at www.schott-music.com.

For more about Alban Berg and Wolfgang Rihm, please visit www.universaledition.com.

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