David Chesky - Piano Concertos 2 & 3

2017 release. Following the release of his stunning Venetian Concertos, composer/pianist David Chesky has written two new concertos, this time for piano. Inspired by the chaos of his adopted New York City, these virtuosic concertos are a mixture of energy, rhythmic drive and serenity. Like most of his recent work, they combine modern compositional styles with both jazz and reverence to classical forms in Chesky's own unique manner. Like his Venetian Concertos, Chesky's Piano Concerto No. 2 can be described as a "collision of atonal harmonies in counterpoint". The first movement contains many fugal sections including a contrapuntal interplay among the flute, piano and strings. The entire movement is a moto perpetuo, which ends in a frenzy. The quiet second movement, the heart of this concerto, is one of the most tranquil, mesmerizing and sublime music in all of Chesky's compositions. In contrast, the third movement seems violent and builds to a powerful climactic ending. With it's celebration of jazz, which he combines with a little ragtime in the finale, Chesky has referred to his third concerto as his "jazz piano concerto". The first movement combines South American dance with fugue, blues, and jazz. The second movement prominently features interaction among the piano, glockenspiel and vibraphone. The third movement contains a syncopated section in the middle, where Chesky adapts his 2013 Second New York Rag "The Bernstein" as an homage to Leonard Bernstein. The entire movement from the beginning to it's propulsive coda is a tour de force for all the performers. Ten years after his last piano concerto, Chesky has now given us two more extremely impressive ones. In these works, Chesky's fans will not only recognize his distinctive style, but also the huge creative leap made by this talented musician.