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November 4, 2009, Local Arts News, Classical

Kansas City Symphony commissions and premieres new piano concerto: Lost Souls by Avner Dorman

By KCM Staff   Tue, Nov 03, 2009

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.

For Immediate Release - October 29, 2009

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.

Avner Dorman

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:
Alon Goldstein
"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.

For more information about Lost Souls, Avner Dorman and Alon Goldstein, please follow the links below:

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About the Kansas City SymphonyLed 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.

 

By KCM Staff

KCM Staff

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