Jazz Up! Paganini - A Crazy Concert Piece for Classical Pianists

Dieses Stück soll das berühmte Thema von Niccolò Paganinis 24. Capriccio für Violine solo auf jazzige Art reflektieren. Die Anregung dazu stammte von einer gleichermaßen virtuosen wie temperamentvollen Pianistin: Für ein Konzert, in dem sie die Rhapsodie über ein Thema von Paganini für Klavier und Orchester von Sergej Rachmaninoff spielte, wünschte sie sich ein Zugabestück, das nach Improvisation klingen sollte - meiner Meinung nach eine wunderbare Möglichkeit, klassischen Pianisten einen Zugang in die Welt des Jazz zu bieten. Also stellt die Komposition eine virtuose Tour de Force durch die Jazzklaviergeschichte in sechs Minuten dar. Die Stile und deren Protagonisten umfassen Chick Corea (Modern Jazz), Michel Camilo, Makoto Ozone, Tango Nuevo, Brasilianischer Choro-Walzer, Bossa Nova, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum. (Michael Publig)

Virtuosen aufgepasst! Jazz Up!-Paganini  verpasst Paganinis 24 Capriccios eine ordentliche Portion Swing! Die Bearbeitung für Klavier von Michael Publig jagt Paganinis Thema in einer etwa sechsminütigen Tour de Force durch knapp zehn verschiedene Stile der Jazzpiano-Geschichte. Die verarbeiteten Einflüsse reichen dabei von Chick  Corea über Modern Jazz bis hin zu Oscar Peterson. Die anspruchsvolle Bearbeitung wurde ursprünglich auf Anregung einer Konzertpianistin in Angriff genommen, mit dem Ziel, ein Zugabestück zu kreieren, welches klassische Pianisten wie auch den Zuhörer gleichermaßen auf spannende Art und Weise mit dem Jazz bekannt macht. Jazz up!Paganini lässt sich auch in einer gekürzten Fassung mittels Auslassungsmarkierungen im Text umsetzen. Wer verrückt genug ist, es einmal mit diesem ausgefallenen Virtuosen-Futter zu probieren, kann das knapp 18 Seiten umfassende Heft zum Preis von knapp 14 Euro im Handel erstehen. (Marcus Thiel, Keyboards  1/2014) (...)  given the immense, possibly overly enthusiastic response to Paganini's melody ,  is there really space on the rack for another set of variations? Michael Publig clearly thinks so, drawing further inspiration from the likes of Chick Corea, Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. Publig seems to have conceived it as a virtuoso encore piece, as distinct from his earlier Jazz Piano Suite, which was intended for pianists of a somewhat less elevated stature. It certainly is rather difficult to get under the fingers, although I would quickly add that the score itself is absolutely clear and is always written with a desire to make the various 'tricks' seem perfectly possible by mere human beings. Following the sixteen pages of music, we are given a further four pages in an instruction style, the essence of which is very nicely laid out indeed - Publig shows us various blues, pentatonic and half-tone-whole-tone scales, all set within appropriate contexts, and I am sure this part of the publication will be snaffled eagerly by those wanting a quick lesson in 'grown-up' jazz licks. The piece itself is rather clever, often bordering on ingenious, as one would hope given the swathe of predecessors I spent so much time telling you about, and is as much dependent for its success upon syncopations of varying sorts as upon the harmonic details; all of this adds up to music that is great fun to tackle. You'll probably be able to tell that my early signs of mild cynicism have mutated exponentially into admiration, and this is in no small part due to Publig's excellent six minute work, which I recommend wholeheartedly. (Mark Tanner, Piano Professional Magazine, Summer 2013) The composer explains that the idea for this Virtuoso Jazz Piano Suite, based on the Capriccio no 24 by Paganini, came to him from a spirited "pianist who needed an improvisation based on the famous Paganini theme as an encore after her performance of Rachmaninov's Paganini Rhapsody". Michael Publig is concerned to give pianists a better understanding of Jazz and Latin American idioms and this excellent concert piece is "a virtuoso tour de force through the history of jazz piano playing in six minutes". One long continuous movement which is divided into twelve variations, this piece passes through a variety of styles namely: Chick Corea, Michel Camilo, Makoto Ozone, Tango Nuevo, Brazilian Choro Waltz, Bossa Nova, Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. The final section is a relaxed "swinging Blues" to bring the work to a close. This most original and interesting concert piece would prove to offer excellent sight-reading practice for advanced students as well as forming an irresistible climax to any concert programme. (NL, Piano Journal (issue 99) Spring 2013)