BAPTISTE TROTIGNON (b.1974): Piano Concerto “Different Spaces”, 3 Pièces for 2 Pianos, 3 Préludes for Piano.

Description: Trotignon is a jazz pianist with a substantial and successful career, who has only recently turned his attention to composed, fully notated 'classical' composition. This 35-minute, four-movement concerto suggests that this diversification of his talents was well worth waiting for. Not especially 'jazzy' nor a 'crossover' piece, it’s a work of contemporary neoromanticism, tonal, appealing and instantly likable. The Afro-Caribbean antecedents of jazz are certainly present, notably in the rhythmic drive of the ebullient scherzo and toe-tapping finale, but overall it is European and north American models that seem most to have influenced the composer. The still, melodic slow movement has genuine depth of feeling, and the fleet-footed finale, with its unexpectedly thoughtful cadenza, initially a dialogue with the flute, forms a wholly satisfying conclusion. It may not break much new ground but it is a fine addition to the concerto repertoire, with ample and wholly idiomatic pianistic virtuosity. The two-piano pieces pay tribute to different types of minimalist or process textures, while the Préludes are nostalgic little romantic miniatures tinged with melancholy. Nicholas Angelich (piano), Baptiste Trotignon (second piano), Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine; Paul Daniel.