Elysium for piano solo and symphony orchestra - Robert Hejnar
Hejnar describes his composition in following commentary: “In Ancient Greek mythology the term Elysium refers to the abode (an island) of the blessed and the righteous in the underworld; in a figurative sense it might also stand for the biblical Paradise (Eden). I found the source of inspiration for the piece in the 2nd movement of L. van Beethoven’s 4th piano concerto G major that is traditionally interpreted as “a dialogue between man and God”.
“My intention was to write a one-movement concerto for piano and orchestra that would emphasize the meditative and confessional aspect of the confrontation between the solo instrument (piano – man) and the accompanying orchestra (orchestra – God) in order to inspire the concerto form with substantial and profound subject matter. I tried to eliminate the purely and purposelessly virtuoso function of the solo piano part (i.e. to avoid technical clichés typical of the instrument and to put emphasis on the expressive force of the part), and to create a mutual relationship between the solo instrument and the orchestra making the two elements – in spite of their differing roles – two equal partners.”
Robert Hejnar (b. 1969) studied piano at the Prague Conservatory and composition under prof. Ivan Kurz at the Musical Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (1998). In 2005 he started his PhD studies here in the field of composition under Ivan Kurz. At present he teaches composition and related subjects at the Conservatory of the Evangelical Academy in Olomouc.
Other composirions by Robert Hejnar published in Czech Radio:
Hommage a Concerto Grosso
Lorelei for Violin Solo, Chamber String Orchestra and Piano
instrumentationpfte solo, picc, 2fl, 2ob, cor ingl, 2cl, cl b, 2fg, cfg, 4cor, 3trb, 3tbn, tbn b, tb, timp, vibf, cel, campli, camp, trgl, t-tam, ptti, metal chimes, arp, archidescriptionscorepubl.No.R 209price220,- CZK
Parts only for hire at nakladatelstvi@rozhlas.cz