“Intensity 15.3” was written at the request of my friend – and the amazing flutist – Barbara Siesel for a premiere on March 14-15, 2022 in Budapest – for an event that fell prey to the ravages of the pandemic…
Since I am of Hungarian background on my father’s side and lived in Budapest until the age of ten, and since March 15th is a Hungarian holiday that honors the country’s battle for independence from the Austro-Hungarian empire, the piece features nationalist musical elements: Hungarian modes and rhythms, Hungarian turns of melodic phrase, as well as brief quotes from well-known Hungarian tunes.
The result is a group of fifteen short pieces for solo flute, arranged into three groups of five (obliquely referring to 15.3 in the European calendar) where the first recalls the Rákóczi March, the sixth harkens back to Ferenc Erkel’s national anthem, while the eleventh riffs on the opening of Béla Bartók’s viola concerto.
The fifteen segments are all miniatures, with individual descriptions – and with considerable technical challenges for the performer – in tribute to the Mikrokosmos of my childhood; the title is also a nod to Varèse’s (in)famous Density 21.5 for solo flute.
The fifteen miniatures can be used for study, and can also be performed individually in any number or order — but the whole set also creates a compelling dramatic narrative.
Dekenessey Productions, Publisher
You can purchase the $10 score by emailing Stefania directly: dekenessey@gmail.com
For more information, please contact dekenessey@gmail.com. And, to explore more of Stefania de Kenessey’s music visit: www.stefaniadekenessey.com.
For a perusal score, click here.