David Chesky - Piano Concertos 2 & 3 (2017)

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 its 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 its 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.