 The career of pianist Jeffrey Biegel has been marked by bold, creative achievements and highlighted by a series of firsts.
He performed the first live internet recitals in New York and Amsterdam in 1997 and 1998, enabling him to be seen and heard by a global audience. In 1999, he assembled the largest consortium of orchestras (over 25), to celebrate the millennium with a new concerto composed for him by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. The piece, entitled 'Millennium Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra', was premiered with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. In 1997, he performed the World Premiere of the restored, original 1924 manuscript of George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' with the Boston Pops. Charles Strouse composed a new work titled 'Concerto America' for Biegel, celebrating America and honoring the heroes and events of 9-11. Biegel premiered the piece with the Boston Pops in 2002. He transcribed the first edition of Balakirev's 'Islamey Fantasy' for piano and orchestra, which he premiered with the American Symphony Orchestra in 2001, and edited and recorded the first complete set of all '25 Preludes' by Cesar Cui.
Currently, he is assembling the first global consortium for the new 'Concerto no. 3 for Piano and Orchestra' being composed for him by Lowell Liebermann for 2005-06-07. The World Premiere will take place with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andreas Delfs on May 12-14 2006, followed by the European Premiere with the Schleswig Holstein Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gerard Oskamp, February 6-9, 2007.
Biegel is currently on the piano faculty at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, at the City University of New York (CUNY) and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY).
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Friday, May 06, 2005
New Project for Young Orchestras
I am happy to announce the creation of a new orchestra co-commissioning project which will feature a new piano concerto being composed exclusively for me by Daniel Dorff. Maestro Michael Gagliardo and the Etowah Youth Orchestra have agreed to perform the World Premiere of Daniel Dorff's 'Concerto for Piano and Orchestra' with me as piano soloist in Gadsden, Alabama in May, 2007, followed by the New York Premiere in Carnegie Hall in June, 2007. This unique project was created through discussions with Daniel, who is indeed a brilliant composer. He had sent a cd of his music to me and I was extremely impressed with the style and refreshing creativity.
The project goal is to join orchestras (youth, festivals, universities) across the US to commission Daniel to compose a new piano concerto for me to be performed with the co-commissioning orchestras in the 2007-08 season. Daniel has already enjoyed a successful output of works that are regularly programmed for young people's concerts by major orchestras. His first piano concerto will be an important contribution to the repertoire for pianists, orchestras, and will offer opportunities for the orchestras to be part of a large and visible commissioning project.
Here is Daniel's personal vision of the work:
"RELEVANCE TO YOUTH ORCHESTRA:
Music will be visceral, rhythmic, hormonal; exciting for young players. Harmonic style like my other music - American influenced with some amount of jazz or rock flavor subtlely, but "serious" not crossover; compare Bernstein, Barber, Copland.
Difficulty level for select ambitious youth orchestras. I will not write down for high school orchestra level, but in writing for professional orchestra standards, I'll be careful about staying practical. See details below.
INSTRUMENTATION
Woodwinds: by 3's or 2's, with Piccolo, EH, Bass Clar available. I'll avoid other woodwind doublings. Passagework may be difficult, but won't exceed standard high range or use extended techniques.
Brass: 4331 or less, using C Trumpets, maybe Harmon mutes called for. Writing at adult level, but I'll be careful about high register.
Harp: yes
Other Keyboard in orchestra: No
Percussion: 3 perc players on standard instruments, nothing weird to rent; plus Timpani with 4 drums
Strings: Maybe solo passages for principals; divisi a2 is fair game, but probably not a3. Passagework may be difficult in spots, but I'll watch out for high ranges.
RHYTHM
Many ensembles find rhythm the hardest element to polish in my music, and a neoprimitive piano concerto is likely to use syncopation and irregular rhythm very strongly. I'll make a point of keeping these repetitive and clearly notated, with a minimum of irregular changing meter.
FORM AND STRUCTURE
I'm tentatively thinking of a 3-movement fast-slow-fast standard concerto form with Concerto as the title; however that might change as I get into the actual writing. Either way, let's aim for roughly 20 minutes.
My initial concept is Mvt 1: fiery toccata with an arresting opening section grabbing them right from bar 1; lyric B theme keeps driving rhythm at all times, not sentimental, just lyrical. Mvt 2: A-B-A' based on an original song, maybe as variations; lots of chamber music or wind solos. Mvt 3: Rondo."
Please feel free to stay in touch with me at sharpnat@aol.com, as it
would indeed be a pleasure to explore this further with you and your
youth orchestras. You can also visit our web sites www.cyberecital.com
(Biegel) and www.danieldorff.com forfurther information.
With kindest regards,
Jeffrey Biegel
1-516-593-1485
posted by Jeffrey Biegel
4:00 PM
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