“a Play” for Cello, Violin, and Orchestra (2024)

PatKop

première belge par le Brussels Philharmonic, Patricia Kopatchinskaja & Anastasia Kobekina (Klarafestival Bruxelles, mars 2025) / création mondiale par l'Orchestra della Svizzera italiana (OSI), Patricia Kopatchinskaja & Sol Gabetta (Lugano, mai 2024)

26.03.2025 FLAGEY BRUXELLES

commande de l'OSI pour le Festival Presenza - directeur artistique : Sol Gabetta

« Cette pièce recèle tout un univers – un monde profondément personnel, tissé d’amitié, d’histoire commune et des échos du passé. »

"I wrote this piece for Sol Gabetta, a close friend since our youth. She has always been an incredible source of inspiration to me - her unique sound, energy, profound warmth, wit, strength, and aura.

As the piece slowly took shape, new scenes and characters emerged. Sol’s son, Leo - also my godchild - has been fascinated by percussion since early childhood. I initially wanted to create a space for him, filling it with whimsical percussion instruments to keep him entertained in the audience.

In the first movement, I imagined a ghost causing mischief in the kitchen, birds foretelling a storm, and a circus preparing for its next show. The instruments are still tuning, and the stage is not yet set.

The second movement unfolds as a battle with a monster that prevents a mother from reaching her child. Meanwhile, the child plays with a squeaky toy, the garbage truck rumbles outside, and a writer frantically types an exciting novel on a typewriter.

The third movement is a highway, where two musicians travel toward an unknown destination. Suddenly, the road vanishes like a ghost train and dissolves into nothingness.

The fourth movement is dedicated to Hungarian composer Peter Eötvös. I was in the middle of composing when I learned of his passing, which deeply affected me. The movement revolves around the note G – Sol’s note.

The fifth movement is a collection of fragmented cadenzas, framed by a halting orchestra and scattered memories - like waking from a vivid, disorienting dream.

The final notes on the toy piano are a tribute to our late friend Mihaela Ursuleasa. They contain a passage from George Enescu’s Third Violin Sonata, which I often played with Mihaela.

This piece encapsulates an entire world - one that is deeply personal and intertwined with friendship, shared history, and the echoes of the past."

- PatKop (2024)