Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra

"Life is a tragedy full of joy" - Bernard Malamud

This piece opens modestly with a set of themes and variations and concludes with a Maestoso finale (which includes some of the material in the opening section albeit in a somewhat modified form). A somber interlude links the outer sections.

The work is scored for piccolo, flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns and strings. Much of the writing for strings deliberately omits the violins to create a somewhat darker (though also warmer) texture in the tuttis.

In writing this opus, I must admit a huge debt to Robert Schumann whose piano concerto is a sheer marvel with its many inspiring exchanges between piano and winds. Mozart also wrote some deeply moving slow movements (in his piano concertos) where the winds are beautifully counterpoised with the piano.

I must also confess to occasionally imitating Chopin whose mellifluous piano concertos are unparalleled in the literature. And finally, there is the Brahms Second - a truly monumental work whose lofty themes have won me over ever since I first heard it on my father's old 78s!

You can listen to an excerpt encompassing the middle half of the piece using sampled sounds by playing the video:





To get the full score, please send me an e-mail at

shishirthadani
@att.net

Thanks!