Concerto for Piano and Orchestra [HL:369816]

Roger Sessions' Piano Concerto (1955) was composed shortly after the composer began to incorporate full-fledged twelve-tone procedures into his compositional language. Sessions barely finished the work in time for the performers to prepare. The three movements of the Concerto present a dramatic dialogue between the piano and orchestra. The first is cast in a traditional sonata form. The second begins with a slow introductory passage, after which the movement opens up into broad, sustained lyricism. The final movement assumes a rondo-like form. Dedicated to the memory of Sessions' friend and colleague Artur Schnabel, the Concerto has shared much the same fate as its sister work, the Violin Concerto (1930-35): despite the singular musical personality of their creator, both have suffered neglect in the concert repertory. Following its premiere in 1956, the Piano Concerto virtually disappeared until the 1980s, when players took a much-deserved, renewed interest in the work. - Description by Blair Johnston