Concerto for Two Pianos (2017)

‘Bryce Dessner’s 2017 Concerto for two pianos, composed for – and performed here in its New York premiere by – the legendary duo Katia and Marielle Labèque, is a terrific piece of music, engaging and appealing.’

‘On Thursday, the New York Philharmonic gave the New York premiere of a double piano concerto by a pop artist with classical and indie rock credentials. With the composer in attendance, the piece, lovingly crafted to show off the evening’s soloists, Katia and Marielle Labèque, had a strong claim as the evening’s centerpiece.’

‘Dessner, who closely studied the Labèques’ repertoire, throws all manner of writing at the pianists, who play cascading figures in canon, stuttering syncopations, gently articulated polyrhythms, jabbing chords and twinkling starbursts of notes. The orchestra, mesmerized, follows their lead.’

'Dessner’s Concerto for Two Pianos is an important addition to the limited repertoire featuring two solo pianos and orchestra.'

The composition begins without hesitation and, for more than 20 minutes, is impressively symphonic with a rich section of percussion instruments and with both pianos also used primarily as percussive instruments. 

The result of Dessner's distinctive invention is impressive music that exudes power; music that is not minimal at all, but still maintaining some of its repetitiveness, straightforwardness and a little magic.

Dessner, creatively speaking, is very much his own man. He has a distinct harmonic palette that can tip from cloudy anxiety to hope in a moment, but the more striking thing about this concerto was its form. Cast in one movement with occasional teasing breaks, the piece launched off with a fast, tumbling idea that soon gave way to a slower, more expressive one. 

All very traditional, but the almost-constant minimalist tick somewhere underneath blurred the distinction between fast and slow, and Dessner used this ambiguity to lever the music into new expressive areas, or back into old ones. A series of pungent Steve Reich-like bass notes initiated a gathering of energy, and pretty soon a grand final peroration seemed in the offing. Then came an unexpected detour into a proper slow movement, played with nice delicacy by the Labèques. But this was only a brief reculer pour mieux sauter – a step back, so the final leap towards the tumultuous end would be even more decisive.