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Compositions *** |
Concertino for Piano and Percussion Ensemble
year
1965
duration
11 minutes
instrumentation
Piano, xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, tom-toms (3) and timpani
commission
Paul Price
première
March 18, 1965, Manhattan School of Music, New York City. Paul Price Ensemble, Vivian Fine, piano, Paul Price, conductor
recording
Available on demo CD
sections
Allegretto agitato
Lento appassionato
Tempi di giga
Andante tranquillo
Moderato
program notes
Although the Concertino is in one movement, it is divided into five sections, reflecting the usual interpretation of a concertino as a small-scaled concerto….However, Fine blurs the distinction between soloist and ensemble. At times the mallet percussion instruments are an extension of the piano and vice versa. Often the piano and percussion are treated as equals, sharing phrases. The piano does have a cadenza at the end of the first section, and the ‘Lento appassionato’ features the percussion ensemble, especially the timpani, portraying a seductive dance rhythm, with the piano participating at the end of the section.
–Heidi Von Gunden, The Music of Vivian Fine, Scarecrow Press, 1999
audio files