[Aaron Avshalomov] Piano Concerto in G Major on Chinese Themes and Rhythms (Score-Video)

This concerto has 3 movements: 00:05 - I. Allegro non troppo 15:42 - II. Adagio 24:46 - III. Finale: Allegretto Performers: Larissa Shilovskaya (Piano) Jacob Avshalomov / Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Score from IMSLP Audio from    • Avshalomoff: Piano Concerto / Symphony No....   —————— The Piano Concerto in G was written during the summer of 1935 at Hangchow, a renowned beauty spot, of which the Chinese say, "Above there is heaven; below there is Hangchow and Soochow". Living in a peasant cottage, and using a small harmonium, Avshalomov completed the composition in six weeks, doing the orchestration subsequently in Shanghai. Gregory Singer, to whom the score is dedicated, gave the premiere in Shanghai with great success. On that occasion the slow movement was played twice, once as on this disc, and a second time in special orchestration for Chinese instruments. The Pathé recording was done a year later. Despite its title, the Concerto uses borrowed thematic material only in the nocturne-like slow movement, whose principal theme is an ancient Chinese melody. The end movements follow the virtuoso romantic concerto common to the Western tradition: a big sonata-allegro with elaborate cadenza and a lively rondo. The introduction starts with a grinding orchestral gnash, followed by a declamation by the piano. The first movement then settles into a bi-thematic exposition. The first theme is perky, the solo piano playing antiphonally against the orchestra. The second is broad and lyrical. Following the development, the piano embarks on a stupendous cadenza – wide-ranging in its swings of moods and its technical demands. The second movement is based on an ancient Chinese melody given out by the solo flute and then taken up by the piano. With an enchanting orchestral setting, together they produce a serene meditation. The Rondo Finale is a romp, a fusillade of repeated notes, at first single and then in fifths. This movement also has a cadenza – alarmingly accompanied by percussion – after which the repeated notes return to drive to a climactic chord almost as grinding as the very opening one. The entire piece is full of passion and rich in Chinese flavor, reflecting the composer's deep love for China and its music. In this composition, he boldly attempted to use the piano to imitate the performance styles of traditional Chinese instruments, such as the pipa, erhu, bamboo flute (dizi), xiao (dongxiao), yangqin, and guzheng. This highly original approach represents a valuable effort to enrich piano performance techniques and broaden the expressive capabilities of piano art. (Source from CD Booklet, Written by Jacob Avshalomov) —————— I do not own neither the score, nor the recordings used in this video. This is only for educational purposes. If you have any complaints regarding copyright issues, please write to me directly at asorabji20(at)gmail(dot)com before submitting a report to YouTube and I will remove the video as soon as possible.