Avner Dorman: Concerto in A

This is part of our composer series on Avner Dorman.

Inspiration has many names. Avner Dorman's inspiration for his Concerto in A first came from Bach's Harpsichord Concerto No. 4 in A Major (BWV 1055). In 1995 while serving in the Israeli army, he heard the Bach performed on the radio. "I found the bright sound of the violins doubling the piano's top line very exciting, and then and there I improvised the opening tutti."

Avner takes us on a journey through the composition of his concerto: from Bartok and Ravel to jazz, rock, and Israeli horahs.



The second movement of the concerto features a long A-flat major seventh chord, influenced by avant-garde musicians including minimalist Brian Eno, jazz great Keith Jarrett, and Velvet Underground's John Cale.

Some of Avner's more novel devices appear in the third movement. He borrows techniques for the violin and harmonic progressions from The Police and Nina Simone. "I got even more ecstatic about the piece when I realized that using the traditional harmonic vocabulary enables me to effortlessly integrate jazz, pop, and rock elements into the piece."



Music credits: Dorman's Concerto in A performed by the Metropolis Ensemble featuring Eliran Avni on piano, Andrew Cyr conducting. Bach's Concerto in A performed by the Columbia Symphony Orchestra featuring Glenn Gould on piano, Leonard Bernstein conducting.