
Lester Hough
Mozartian Transformations
Duration: 6'
Solos:
piano
Mozartian Transformations is a ‘fantasy on a Fantasy’. What would Mozart’s music sound like turned upside down and inside out?
Mozart’s D minor Fantasy KV 397 is the starting point for Mozartian Transformations. The dark mood of Mozart’s music is explored in the opening chords which concentrates and manipulates the opening sequence of Mozart’s harmonies.
After some musings on Mozart’s opening figuration and musical gestures,the theme of the Adagio is heard in retrograde. This idea is developed further in the bars that follow.
The Allegretto is turned inside out, retaining and inhabiting the elegance of Mozartian expression.
Finally, there is a fugue which combines Mozart’s ideas with original material which underlies the whole composition.
Mozartian Transformations presents a series of transformations of Mozart’s material aiming to ‘inhabit’ Mozart’s style, yet still combining original material with it that identifies the composer of this piece.