Roxanna Panufnik_Hora Bessarabia_EP72752_Score_Extracts

ROXANNA PANUFNIK

Hora Bessarabia for Solo Violin

ALLE RECHTE VORBEHALTEN

· ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

EDITION PETERS L E I P Z I G · L O N D O N · NEW YORK

Note from the composer

Dear Player, This commission for you, a senior competitor at the Menuhin Competition London 2016, coincides with Yehudi’s centenary year. It’s because of this that I wanted to write something that was a bit more personal to him – he loved gypsy music and, as it happens, so do I. Hora Bessarabia uses the famous Romanian and Hungarian “Doina and Hora” form – I fell in love with Track 2 on Jordi Savall’s “Balkan Spirit” CD (you can listen to it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=2r9YQzyC5Lc). The Doina (often sounding quite Middle Eastern) is usually slow and highly ornamented. Hora is wildly fast and virtuosic – a great opportunity to show your dexterity off!

Doina 1 – with great love and soul is to be played with great beauty and soul. The echoes I’ve added are to create a feeling of space and open country. I’ve written the ornamentation out in full because it’s so different every time – note those quarter tone dotted trills – very Middle Eastern! The little arpeggios are in anticipation of cymbalomtype passages later on.

Hora 1 – mischievously, starts at quite a steady pace, but in true gypsy style, accelerates towards the end. With the foot-tapping (one strong, one light – please go to https://youtu.be/JGwf7UcRZUg for a demonstration!), you are imitating the double bass and accordion’s accompaniment, underneath the violin.

Doina 2 – angelically, sees harmonics give the cymbalom arpeggios an ethereal touch. But soon this gentle atmosphere is shattered by Hora 2 – dangerously, as a fiendish Bulgarian pulse takes over the Hora: 11/16 (2+2+3+2+2) with one bar even venturing into 15/16.

As with all new pieces there may be some things that are not so clear – please do email me via office@ menuhincompetition.org – I’d be delighted to answer any questions you might have. I wish you every success in the competition and can’t wait to hear you play this piece. Above all, please enjoy it – inject as much rubato, drama and emotion as you can. Make it your own.

Toi, toi!

Very best wishes, Roxanna www.roxannapanufnik.com

Duration: 5 mins approx.

Commissioned for the Menuhin Competition 2016

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