Jet Stream

From the biographical point of view, Peter Eötvös’ composition for trumpet and large orchestra is related to his teacher and fellow composer Karlheinz Stockhausen whose work DONNERSTAG from LIGHT was performed for the first time in 1981 under the direction of Eötvös and with Stockhausen’s son Markus as soloist for trumpet. 22 years later, the world première of Jet Stream brought the two performers – this time in absence of Stockhausen the father – together again.
At first glance, one might consider Jet Stream to be a trumpet concerto, but Eötvös sees the soloist rather as an embodiment of a fixed point of reference within different flow densities. As is suggested by the title, the piece flows fast, full of energy and lively, sounds rush through the voices of the orchestra, with the soloist being, as described by Eötvös, the eye of the storm.