Orchestral

Tangram, or Pinyin, as it is known in China where it originated, is an ancient puzzle game.

It consists of 7 tans or geometrical figures – 5 triangles, a square and a rhomboid. The primary challenge of the game is to imaginatively combine the elements in creating the image of an object – a house, a dog, a man with a hat, an angel. Over the centuries, a catalogue of over 7000 different Tangram shapes has been compiled and it is still growing. It is also considered to be one of the oldest psychological tests, as how one decides to combine the pieces is deeply connected to the subconscious.

arr: a3 symphony orchestra
alt. arr: piano, violin, clarinet & cello
dur: cir. 16 min.

The Little Town Where Time Stood Still is a title I borrowed from Bohumil Hrabal, doubtlessly one of the warmest authors of all time. Just seeing the cover of Hrabal’s wonderful novel was enough, and I knew exactly of which ‘town’ he spoke. I deliberately set to writing the music before I ever glanced at the text. The music started pouring out, and it appeared before me so vivid and enticing…

arr: symphony orchestra a3
alt. arr: violin & piano
dur: cir. 17  min.

The UN is probably the only institution that directly took up the challenge of harmonizing  this dizzy kaleidoscope of nations, traditions, religions and cultures that make up the fabric of the world we live in. This is often a difficult task, since it is exactly those differences that represent a constant generator of crisis that shake our planet and seriously jeopardize our future. On the other hand the essence  of UN mission is to stress the positive aspects of richness in diversity and to point out towards solutions in which all the subjects are given a chance to accomplish their goals and protect  their rights and interests. Having all this in mind, I grabbed  the biggest atlas I found on the shelf and started jotting down the countries that a composer may not overlook while “packing his bags” for the musical journey around the world.

arr: a2 symphony orchestra
alt. arr: piano, violin, clarinet, cello & percussion
dur: cir. 16 min.

In the Caucasus there is a near obligatory toast pronounced as a prayer at the Georgian table: “For all those we love and who are no longer with us”.

lyrics: Christina Georgina Rossetti (English)
arr. Soprano, violoncello & piano
alt. arr: soprano, violin & piano; voice & piano; solo piano; violin & piano
dur: cir. 3 min

It is a cry for help.
It tells a story of the global fall and the final salvation of the few.

lyrics: Latin (parts of the Graduale Romanum and the Apocalypsis of St. John)
 arr: SATB choir & organ
alt. arr: SATB choir & piano
dur: cir. 4 min.

I can hear the question quivering in the air…Who is it for?

It is for you, my friend…and for me…it’s for the fallen, for the risen, for the forgotten, for the glorious and for the nameless…It is for us

arr: string orchestra
dur: cir. 5 min.

Is actually a finale to the first ever Jewish musical – Las Coplas de Yosef Ha-Tsadik – written in the 17th century and tragically lost during the II WW. This piece was commissioned by the Belgrade Jewish Municipality to celebrate the 90 years of the Sukhat Shalom Synagogue. Originally scored for Chazzan Stefan Sablić, the Shira Utfila Jewish ethnic ensemble and the Baruh Choir, there is also a more classical version for choir, piano and strings.

arr: vocal, SATB choir, oud, violin, clarinet, percussion, double bass & piano
alt arr: SATB choir, piano, percussion & string orchestra
dur: cir. 8 min.

Variations on a theme by Bela Bartok from his “Five Easy Piano Pieces”. A musical homage to the great Master, his fatherland, his last words.

arr: string orchestra
alt. arr: string quintet (str. quartet + double bass)
dur: cir. 11 min.

You all know of those love affairs that started perfectly, promised so much and were then just cut in the bud for no good reason and no proper explanation. They leave you wondering decades later if it might have been the one true thing that never had its chance…
This Tango is for all those who ever caught themselves wondering “What if…”
It’s a musical closure

arr: bandoneon, violin, piano, guitar & double-bass
alt. arr: bandoneon, violin, piano, guitar, double-bass & a2 symphony orchestra
             violin &  piano, cello & piano, solo piano
dur: cir. 4 min.

Written in 2004. the Mass was commissioned to commemorate two important jubilees in the history of Christianity – 950 years of the Great Schism and 40 years of the official withdrawal of the anathemas that followed after the split, between Rome and Constantinople.

lyrics: Liturgical (Latin)
arr: SATB choir, soloists & a2 symphony orchestra
alt. arr: SATB choir, soloists & organ
             SATB choir, soloists & piano (+concertino: violin, violoncello and double bass)
dur: cir. 30 min.

The whole idea about writing something like the Zodiac began many years ago, when I realized that fairly seldom composers were taking an innovative and imaginative approach to the wonderful and majestic medium such as piano and orchestra. Usually, when listening to a piano concerto, you are being given three large chunks of music – a fast movement, a slow movement…and  an even faster one. I was always wondering how come we have pieces in the classical solo piano repertoire, like the Pictures at an Exhibition, or Schumann’s Carnival,  or Tchaikovsky’s Seasons, for that matter, and when it comes to a piano plus orchestra, we still limit ourselves to the rendering of a standard Sonata cycle.

arr: piano & a3 symphony orchestra
alt. arr: piano, violin, clarinet & violoncello
dur: cir. 35 min.