In celebration of my 300th watcher, I am now posting the first movement of my Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in F Sharp Minor. This musical work is without compare my greatest musical composition in terms of scope, orchestration, technique, form, and thematic development. It began life in 1999 as my Piano Sonata in F Sharp Minor (http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4684333/) but within two years had turned into a full-fledged Romantic Era Piano Concerto.

Due to the length of the first movement and the size restrictions, I have to post the piece in two sections.

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in F Sharp Minor - Movement I: Allegro giocoso

Part I - Theme A, A', Theme B (http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6347195/)
Part II - Development, Recapitulation (A, Cadenza, B), Coda

The music is based around a two note, four note, and six note theme. F# - G# / G# - A / B - C#. This theme and its subthemes are reversed and inverted throughout all four movements.

The first movement is in Concerto-Allegro form.

The Development section begins with a modified restatement of the opening theme, now coupled with disjointed entrances by piano, brass, and strings. Around 0:45 the strings and woodwinds lead a plaintive descending melody while the pianists plays chromatic scales that suggest the same melody. At 1:20 this peters out after a hint at the playful theme, where the brass and woodwinds hold a short conversation, punctated by the Glockenspiel. This builds into a long breathed crescendo which uses both theme A and theme B simultaenously overlapping. The piano rejoins at 2:35 to drive this crescendo back into a minor key which erupts into the Recapitulation.

The opening theme is heard now joined by piano and strings, blending both the original brass fanfare with the piano introduction. Tihs is followed by the somber meditation with the piano taking the part of the plucked strings. The playful section tries to assert itself, but it vanishes into the Cadenza.

The Cadenza starts at 5:05 and herein the pianist reprises the opening theme before diving into a full bore hammering out of the second theme with suggestions of a military march. A few pyrotechnics ensue before the pianist rushes with an arrpegio into the third variation of the second theme, joined by the full orchestral tutti now in F Sharp Minor. A quick transition ensues in which the pianist now plays chopped chords with both hands, until the piece resolves to A Major with the fourth evocation of theme B.

A brief brass fanfare suggests the closing of the first section at 7:50, building to a climax at 8:20 that thunders briefly before fading into alternating I - Ger6 chords with hints of the playful theme. At 9:09 the violins play the opening two note theme while the pianist very gently intones the rhythmic descending chords. The movement ends with a gentle A - B - B - C# from the piano and one last sigh from the strings and French Horns.

All together the first movement lasts 17:43 seconds.


The Orchestration:

2 Flutes
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets in A
2 Bassoons
4 French Horns
4 Trumpets in C
2 Trombones
1 Bass Trombone
1 Tuba
Tympani
Bass Drum
Harp
Celeste
Glockenspiel
Grand Piano
Violins I, II
Violas
Cellos
String Basses

Dominus vobiscum