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- Bryce Dessner
Concerto for Two Pianos (2017)
- Chester Music Ltd (World)
Co-Commissioned by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Borusan Culture Arts Centre, Dresden Philharmonie, Orquesta Nacionales de Espanã and Orchestre de Paris for Katia and Marielle Labèque. The first performance took place on 13 April 2018 at the Royal Festival Hall, London, conducted by John Storgårds.
Exclusive to soloists Katia and Marielle Labèque until 2022.
- 2(II:pic).1+ca/2(II:bcl).1+cbn/4231/timp.4perc/hp/str
- 2 Pianos; Reduced version: 2(pic).1.2(bcl).2(cbn)/1120/timp.3perc/[hp]/str(4.4.3.3.2)
- 2 Pianos
- 23 min
- 11th April 2025, The National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland
Programme Note
I first met Katia and Marielle Labèque during rehearsals for a concert we shared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel several years ago. The orchestra was premiering a recent work of mine, paired with Katia and Marielle performing Philip Glass’s Concerto for Two Pianos. During that week in Los Angeles I became acquainted with their incredible playing and profoundly open and inspiring musical universe. I had also recently moved to Paris, and Katia and Marielle would quickly become a second family to me in France. Soon after that we started planning our future collaboration, which materialised with my Concerto for Two Pianos.
The piece was composed for Katia, Marielle and the London Philharmonic Orchestra throughout 2017, with a large portion of the development taking place in Katia and Marielle’s piano studio on Rue Quincampoix in Paris and their house on the Basque coast where they spend most of the summer. I spent a lot of time familiarising myself with the repertoire they have performed over the years, and doing research on the deeply personal and intertwined musical history and style that they share. I also shared the score with them several times as it developed, to get their feedback and to be sure the ideas were translating well to the piano. I had previously composed a 20-minute piano duo for them in 2015 called El Chan, which they have toured extensively and recorded. Working on this first duo piece together was a great learning experience for me, in shaping how to address the challenges of writing for two pianos.
My Concerto is a tribute to two great musicians who I am honoured to work with and who I am even luckier to call my friends.
- Bryce Dessner, April 2018
The piece was composed for Katia, Marielle and the London Philharmonic Orchestra throughout 2017, with a large portion of the development taking place in Katia and Marielle’s piano studio on Rue Quincampoix in Paris and their house on the Basque coast where they spend most of the summer. I spent a lot of time familiarising myself with the repertoire they have performed over the years, and doing research on the deeply personal and intertwined musical history and style that they share. I also shared the score with them several times as it developed, to get their feedback and to be sure the ideas were translating well to the piano. I had previously composed a 20-minute piano duo for them in 2015 called El Chan, which they have toured extensively and recorded. Working on this first duo piece together was a great learning experience for me, in shaping how to address the challenges of writing for two pianos.
My Concerto is a tribute to two great musicians who I am honoured to work with and who I am even luckier to call my friends.
- Bryce Dessner, April 2018
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More Info
- Dessner - Artist-in-Residence at Dublin's National Concert Hall
- 30th May 2024
- Bryce Dessner will be Artist-In-Residence for the 24/25 season at the National Concert Hall in Dublin.
- Bryce Dessner’s Cincinnati Homecoming
- 2nd May 2024
- On May 3-4 2024, Bryce Dessner returns to his hometown of Cincinnati, OH for three performances of recent works by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
- Double Helpings
- 11th April 2024
- Labèque sisters and the LA Phil perform concerti for two pianos by Dessner and Muhly
- Dessner’s Concerto for Two Pianos Returns to the US
- 29th November 2023
- The Concerto for Two Pianos by Bryce Dessner is back in the United States, with two major performances this season featuring the towering piano duo of Katia and Marielle Labèque.
- Bryce Dessner and Casco Phil
- 9th January 2023
- Casco Phil present two concerts with an all Bryce Dessner programme: Trombone Concerto, St. Carolyn by the Sea and Concerto for Two Pianos.