OVERSCRIPT:
CONCERTO FOR FLUTE AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (formerly known as simply
"Concerto for Flute and Chamber Orchestra") for solo flute, oboe, bassoon, harpsichord and string orchestra
(revised, 2012).
1993. Commissioned by ConAccord Canada for Robert Aitken with
a grant from the Ontario Arts Council. 45 minutes. Part of the
SPRING EQUINOX
project. Score and parts available through
PROMETHEAN EDITIONS.
Commissioned in 1992 by
Conaccord Canada for flutist Robert Aitken, Overscript was first
performed on March 23, 2001 by flutist Patrick Gallois and an ad hoc ensemble
consisting of faculty and students of the Faculty of Music, University of
Toronto. Originally titled Concerto for Flute and Chamber Orchestra,
Overscript was mildly revised and renamed in 2012. That year I composed a
second flute concerto called Departures and this necessitated renaming
the first concerto. Overscript is a palimpsest (an overwrite) of, and a
musical commentary on the
Concerto in G minor for Flute, Strings and Basso Continuo, BWV 1056/I,
by Johann Sebastian Bach. The latter is itself a compilation of movements from
earlier concerti, the manuscripts of which no longer exist. Judging from the
melodic writing and the instrumental range of the solo part, it seems that the
two outer movements are probably from a violin concerto, while the middle
movement must have been originally conceived for a solo wind instrument. It has
been handed down to us as the Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings in F minor,
an arrangement Bach probably made for his weekly Collegium Musicum concerts in
Leipzig. In my own composition, I took into account the published harpsichord
version of the original and the flute version recorded on compact disc by
William Bennett and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-fields under Neville
Marriner (London Jubilee 417 715 LM) as well as the continuo rendering by
Christopher Hogwood. The entire Bach concerto is included, however fragmented,
in my own work. Not only have I preserved the original in its entirety, but I
have also preserved the overall structure: the linear harmonic and thematic
evolution is identical in both works. A process of 'intervalic stretching' and
'tempo compression' of the original music is in operation throughout, and the
listener is invited to make comparisons between the original and the derived
materials, which, for that purpose, are always juxtaposed in close proximity.
This method of conveying musical information is more evident in the outer
movements. In the middle movement, there is an emotional and personal
involvement with the material which, like in a romantic concerto, will hopefully
carry the listener beyond the cerebral concerns of the other two movements.
Here, the opening melody—one of the most beautiful melodies by Bach—is
interrupted at the point of the half-cadence, and what follows is a long
development section in the romantic tradition which eventually returns to the
original melody at the end. The baroque concerto character of the original is
preserved in the outer movements. There the soloist plays with the orchestra,
not against it. In the middle movement, the orchestra begins as an accompanist
to the solo instrument, eventually assuming a role reminiscent of the nineteenth
century concerto. In addition to the strings and continuo orchestration of the
original, my orchestra includes an oboe and a bassoon. The prominent role of
these two instruments, second only to the solo flute, is acknowledged in the
rather long cadenza of the third movement, where they occasionally share the
spotlight with the soloist. The solo part itself is arduous, and makes great
demands on the player in terms of range, expressiveness, rhythmic precision and
breath control. Finally, the naming of the individual movements (also a 2012
afterthought) has nothing to do with punches in the boxing ring. It has to do
with hemispheric function in the human brain and how this might be reflected in
the contrasting compositional approaches to the Bach material in each of the
movements.
Premiere performance: March 23,
2001. Patrick Gallois, flute and an orchestra consisting of University of
Toronto faculty and students under the direction of Gary Kulesha. Faculty Artist
Concerts, Walter Hall, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto.
For more information on the make-up of this work, read the essay:
The Art of the
Palimpsest: Compositional Approaches to the Music of J. S. Bach
Reviews:Hatzis' compositions a feast for the ears
The
world premiere of Concerto for Flute and Chamber Orchestra showed us
Hatzis as deconstructionist, creating a collage from a Bach flute concerto and
his own manipulations of Bach's familiar phrases. If the first movement tipped
to the side of arid ingenuity, the second tipped the other way as Hatzis
unmuzzled his inner rhapsode. The third abounded in fun. Soloist Patrick Gallois
seemed to enjoy himself throughout as he leaped through the florid difficulties
of his part. His delight mirrored the response of all present. John
Lehr, The Toronto Star (Canada)
The capacity audience in
the concert hall Dimitris Mitropoulos of the Megaron Mousikis [Athens Concert
Hall] literally "deified" renowned flutist Patrick Gallois and the Camerata
Orchestra last Sunday evening, which under the direction of its permanent
Artistic Director Alexander Myrat inaugurated its fall season. The audience also
wildly applauded Greek composer Christos Hatzis, whose work, Concerto for
Flute and Chamber Orchestra, was given its European premiere. After
persistent calls from the audience, the performers played the last part of the
concerto as an encore. Christos Hatzis lives in Canada and is considered
in North America as one of the most important composers of our time. Ta Nea.
October 14, 2003 (Greece)
Camerata Premiere Turns into Adoration at the Athens Concert Hall 
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