related works

Walters Liederbuch : for mezzo-soprano and piano / Marijn Simons; lyrics by Walter Haas

Genre: Vocal music
Subgenre: Voice and piano
Scoring: sopr-m pf

Piano concerto II : for piano and orchestra / Daniël Belinfante

Genre: Orchestra
Subgenre: Piano and orchestra
Scoring: pf orchestra

unequal parts : for piano and ensemble, 2006 / Martijn Padding

Genre: Orchestra
Subgenre: Piano and orchestra
Scoring: fl(pic fl-b) ob(eh) 2cl cl-b h 3trp 2trb trb-cb perc man 2hp acc str pf-solo

Piano Concerto No. 3 : for piano solo and symphony orchestra, 2003 / Hanna Kulenty

Genre: Orchestra
Subgenre: Piano and orchestra
Scoring: 3fl 3ob 2cl cl(cl-b) 2fg fg(cfg) 4h 3trp 3trb tb 3perc str(14.12.10.8.6.) pf-solo

composition

Concerto d'un bon esprit : pour piano et orchestre de chambre / Marijn Simons

Other authors:
Simons, Marijn (Composer)
Contains:
Justice
Santé
Force
Description:
It was in 1998 when Jean-Bernard Pommier invited me to come to England to do a few concerts as a soloist with the Northern Sinfonia. He was the orchestra’s chief conductor at that time. After the concert in Newcastle, he asked me to compose a piano concerto for him. The title “Concerto d'un bon esprit” (Concerto of a good mind) reflects how I feel about Jean-Bernard as a person and a great artist rather than being audible in the music.

“Justice” (righteousness) refers to interpersonal relations. The first two bars in the piano consist of a small thematic motif, which will remain a sort of idée fixe throughout the first movement. Around this motif, the music is constantly intensifying. The six tuplets in the piano, accompanied by percussive music in the orchestra, form the first movement's motorical climax. The winding down
of the cadenza, followed by a duet for horn and trombone, leads the first movement to its ending.

“Santé” (health) refers to the proper balance between body and mind. This movement starts with a pulsating “A” rising out of the last piano chord of the first movement as it dies away. The first half of the second movement gradually tempts itself into triplets and then semiquavers. The second half starts with the recapitulation of the piano, but a semitone higher. Then, it comes into a kind of feel of A-major/minor in places, which refers to the long “A” of the beginning. After the passage for wind instruments, the piano and tam-tam settle the movement into “four-in-a-bar”, which stops the rolling, forward-pushing feeling.

“Force” (power) refers to the, in my opinion, strongest spiritual power: humour. Contrary to the straightness and austerity of the previous movements, this movement is written with swing and humour. As soon as this feeling is settled, the woodwinds, followed by the strings, play chorale-like music, after which the music develops towards a joyous end. - MARIJN SIMONS