Work of the Week – Peter Eötvös: Harp Concerto

A new concerto for a celebration: Peter Eötvös's 80th birthday will be celebrated with a symposium and gala concert in Paris next weekend. Among other works by the Hungarian composer, his new Harp Concerto will see its world premiere. Eötvös wrote the concerto for harp and orchestra for the virtuoso Xavier de Maistre (pictured), who will perform it for the first time on 18 January with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by Gergely Madaras at the Maison de le Radio et de la Musique.

In his new Harp Concerto, Peter Eötvös has composed a highly virtuosic and at the same time unusually light-hearted work. After an improvised introduction by the harp, the first movement is entitled Allegro e felice, or cheerful and happy. The serene second movement is a subtle homage to Maurice Ravel, in which the solo instrument plays embedded in refined, natural sound mixtures of the various orchestral groups.

Harp Concerto by Peter Eötvös: Cheerful to Forceful

In contrast, noise sounds cover the final movement with elemental force, culminating in free glissandi of the harp above the orchestra as a quasi instrumental-theatrical anti-cadenza, or as the composer puts it with a wink: 

no chords, no melody, no citation (Peter Eötvös)

The Harp Concerto was commissioned jointly by several international orchestras.  It will soon debut in concert halls across the world, with the German premiere scheduled for February 25 at the Philharmonie Berlin, followed by performances in Geneva on March 2, Porto on May 18, and Vienna on June 4. The date for the Japanese premiere with the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo has not yet been confirmed.

Links:

Peter Eötvös: Composer Profile  

Peter Eötvös: 80th Birthday in January

Harp Concerto: Work Details 

Maison de la Radio et de la Musique Website 

photo: Nikolaj Lund