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- Joan Tower
Concerto for Piano (Homage to Beethoven) (1985)
- Associated Music Publishers Inc (World)
- 2(pic).1.2(bcl).1/2.2.0+btbn.0/2perc/str
- Piano
- 21 min
Programme Note
Composer Note:
This work was commissioned by Hudson Valley Philharmonic Music Director Imre Pallo under a National Endowment for the Arts consortium commissioning grant involving the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Philharmonia Virtuosi. For many years, my work has been greatly inspired by the music of Ludwig van Beethoven, and it is for that reason that the Piano Concerto is subtitled “Homage to Beethoven” and dedicated to his memory. Three sonatas of Beethoven were particularly influential to me, and are reflected in the Piano Concerto. The concerto is a one movement work divided into three sections. In each section there is either an idea or melodic quote inspired by these three sonatas: The first section is an idea inspired by The Tempest, Op. 31. For myself, what impressed me about the first movement of The Tempest sonata is its unusual (even for Beethoven) alternating slow and fast pacing. In my piece, I alternate between slow and fast pacings, although not as abruptly as Beethoven does. In the piano cadenza of the second section is a quote from Op. 111, the last piano sonata Beethoven ever wrote. In the piano cadenza of the third section there is a theme taken from the third movement of Op. 53, Waldstein, which is developed and provides the climax of the last section of the concerto right before the final coda.
The Piano Concerto encompasses the use of two flutes doubling on one piccolo, two clarinets doubling on one bass clarinet, one bassoon, two horns, one trumpet, one trombone, percussion, strings and solo piano.
I would like to extend my warmest thanks and appreciation to Jacquelyn Helin for the dedication and good spirit with which she approached this work.
—Joan Tower
This work was commissioned by Hudson Valley Philharmonic Music Director Imre Pallo under a National Endowment for the Arts consortium commissioning grant involving the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Philharmonia Virtuosi. For many years, my work has been greatly inspired by the music of Ludwig van Beethoven, and it is for that reason that the Piano Concerto is subtitled “Homage to Beethoven” and dedicated to his memory. Three sonatas of Beethoven were particularly influential to me, and are reflected in the Piano Concerto. The concerto is a one movement work divided into three sections. In each section there is either an idea or melodic quote inspired by these three sonatas: The first section is an idea inspired by The Tempest, Op. 31. For myself, what impressed me about the first movement of The Tempest sonata is its unusual (even for Beethoven) alternating slow and fast pacing. In my piece, I alternate between slow and fast pacings, although not as abruptly as Beethoven does. In the piano cadenza of the second section is a quote from Op. 111, the last piano sonata Beethoven ever wrote. In the piano cadenza of the third section there is a theme taken from the third movement of Op. 53, Waldstein, which is developed and provides the climax of the last section of the concerto right before the final coda.
The Piano Concerto encompasses the use of two flutes doubling on one piccolo, two clarinets doubling on one bass clarinet, one bassoon, two horns, one trumpet, one trombone, percussion, strings and solo piano.
I would like to extend my warmest thanks and appreciation to Jacquelyn Helin for the dedication and good spirit with which she approached this work.
—Joan Tower
Media
Scores
Reviews
Joan Tower's undervalued Concerto for Piano (Homage to Beethoven) received a tremendous reboot at the hands of Marc-André Hamelin…
13th December 2023
[Tower’s] Piano Concerto, with a riveting, sensitively inflected account of the solo part by Paul Barnes of DePauw University, was the most exciting work on [the] program.
9th March 1995
[Tower’s] Concerto is bright, tight, amusing and virtuosic; it holds the interest in every moment.
8th January 1990
Discography
Joan Tower: Piano Concerto - Homage to Beethoven
- LabelBMOP Sound
- Catalogue Number1093
- ConductorGil Rose
- EnsembleBoston Modern Orchestra Project
- SoloistMarc-André Hamelin, piano; Carol Wincenc, flute; Adrian Morejon, bassoon
- ReleasedSeptember 2023
- LabelD'note Classics
- Catalogue Number1016
- ConductorJoseph Silverstein
- EnsembleLouisville Orchestra
- SoloistUrsula Oppens, piano
- LabelKoch-Schwann
- Catalogue Number3-1333-2
- ConductorKirk Trevor
- EnsemblePhilharmony "Bohuslav Martinu"
- SoloistPaul Barnes
More Info
- Joan Tower's Homage to Beethoven now available on BMOP/sound
- 12th September 2023
- BMOP/sound's upcoming release features four works by American composer Joan Tower, including Piano Concerto (Homage to Beethoven), Rising, Red Maple, and her Flute Concerto.