Avner Dorman

Mandolin Concerto - Piano Reduction

For Mandolin and Piano. Written for Avi Avital, this concerto explores the diverse sonic and expressive possibilities of the Mandolin. The concerto's main conflicts are between sound and silence and between motion and stasis, in particular using the Mandolin's most basic technique - the tremolo, which is the rapid repetition of notes. The tremolo embodies both motion and stasis. The rapid movement provides momentum, while the pitches stay the same. The concerto can be divided into three main sections that are played attacca: 1. A slow meditative movement with occasional dynamic outbursts; 2. A fast dance like movement that accumulates energy leading to a culmination at its end; 3. Recapitulation: delving deeper into the pure melody and an underlying heartbeat of the opening movement.