In 1973, my composition Patterns was chosen to be the set piece at the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition. Mr. Bistritzky, director of the competition, suggested that I compose another piece and dedicate it to the Maestro personally. Thus, d\u2019Apres une mazurka<\/i> came to be written. The Maestro acknowledged the work in a very warm and friendly letter to me but, much to my regret, due to his already failing sight, he has never given it a public performance.<\/p>
Rubinstein was one of the greatest performers of Chopin\u2019s music and has recorded all of his Mazurkas. The mazurka op. 24 no. 2 in the Lydian mode, was rather his favorite and he said so in his letter to me. In the original version of my work, I used several motifs of this mazurka by Chopin but treated them only as slight hints. The general style of my work is clearly and deliberately of the 20th century.<\/p>
Fourteen years later, in 1987, my friend the pianist David Dolan, suggested that I broaden the scope of the composition by adding several more motifs from Chopin\u2019s mazurka and so I wrote a fresh and enlarged version of d\u2019Apres une mauzrka<\/i>. Though the opening of both versions is similar yet generally they differ greatly from each other.<\/p>
It is most desirable that the pianist who is about to study the piece be well acquainted with Chopin\u2019s op. 24 no. 2. I would suggest that at a concert performance, the Chopin mazurka, be played first and one of the versions of my composition should follow. In my opinion, performance of both versions of d\u2019Apres une mauzrka<\/i> is only suitable on such occasions as a lesson or as illustration to a lecture.<\/p>"},"yoast_head":"\n