JIGSAW
Fantasia Concertante for piano & orchestra
ATHENS 2008
Nestor Taylor JIGSAW
Fantasia Concertante for piano & orchestra
ATHENS 2008
‘Jigsaw’ is a short piano concerto in the form of a Konzertstück originally intended as a birthday present for my friend and colleague, Christos Papageorgiou. It has a playful yet dynamic character and acts as a portrait in that it alludes to the different styles and moods that characterise Christos. The compositional ideas are an eclectic mix of original motifs and borrowed material, pieced together meticulously, as in a jigsaw puzzle. They consist mostly of very brief references to piano concertos such as Schostakovich’s 2nd concerto, Adinsell’s ‘Warshaw Concerto’, and Britten’s Op. 13 in the form of a few chords, a short bravura passage, or some figuration, or even just a texture, fleetingly appearing either in direct quotation or, in some cases, free association.
The world premiere was given on 11.10.2013 at the Odessa Philharmonic Grand Hall with Georgiy Kozhukhar (piano) and the Odessa Philharmonic conducted by Myron Michailidis. The second performance took place at the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus on 4.10.2016, with Christos Papageorgiou as soloist and the Greek National Radio Orchestra conducted by Tasos Symeonides, whereas the same conductor presented the concerto with the Ploieşti Philharmonic on March 23, 2023, at the Ion Baciu Hall, with celebrated soloist, Ioana-Maria Lupaşcu.
INSTRUMENTATION
2 Flutes (2nd doubling piccolo)
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets in Bb
2 Bassoons
4 Horns in F
2 Trumpets in Bb
3 Trombones
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion (4 players): Snare drum, Bass drum, 2 Bongos, Tambourine, Cymbals (suspended – crash), Hi-hat, Cabasa, Tam-tam, Glockenspiel
Pianoforte
2 Harps
Strings