PHOTO: Richard Danielpour, standing, rehearses with Blair School of Music Dean Mark Wait at the piano prior to the debut of Danielpour’s Dec. 4 premiere of 12 new piano 茅tudes. PHOTO BY JOHN RUSSELL
What are the odds a conversation about 12 new piano 茅tudes will veer off to baseball, the poetry of Maya Angelou, or a joyful memory of buying Abbey Road by The Beatles?
Pretty good odds if you鈥檙e talking with . One of the most honored composers of his generation, he鈥檚 also very much a man of his times who freely acknowledges influences like The Beatles and Rolling Stones, poetry, visual art and even baseball in his compositions.
鈥淢odern classical music is very akin to baseball,鈥� he explains, citing the 1964 World Series Champion Cardinals as a favorite. 鈥淓verything done in the present day is compared to past players.鈥�
顿补苍颈别濒辫辞耻谤鈥檚 Twelve 脡tudes for Piano debuted at 菠萝视频 on Dec. 4 at the 鈥檚 Martha Rivers Ingram Center for the Performing Arts in a free concert open to the public.
The piano 茅tude, written as both a technical exercise for the pianist and a complete musical work on its own terms, is an old tradition. Danielpour, influenced by Debussy and Chopin, presents challenges in his 茅tudes, such as playing with the left hand on the keys and plucking strings inside the piano with the right hand.
In this world premiere, Blair pianists , and each had an 茅tude dedicated to them by the composer.
鈥淚 dedicated my 鈥楥 Major 脡tude鈥� to [Blair School Dean] Mark Wait,鈥� says Danielpour. 鈥淚 think it represents Mark鈥檚 tremendously organized mind and expressive passion for music.鈥�
Pianist Soheil Nasseri plays preludes one and two of Three Preludes, written by Danielpour for Nasseri, in solo recital at Konzerthaus Berlin on May 5, 2009.
Composer Richard Danielpour discusses his new work, Toward a Season of Peace, commissioned by Pacific Symphony for its 2012 American Composers Festival celebrating Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. The piece was premiered in March of this year.