'cross Broadway

Composition

for piano and chamber orchestra (2005-2006)
9 minutes | no.24


Running across Broadway I bumped into Thelonious Monk: it didn’t hurt a bit.

'cross Broadway is the fifth part of Uptown|Downtown, an urban panorama in six movements, which is thought of as an evening-long dance production about city life in Manhattan.

photo: Flat Iron Building (±1903) from the archive of Miriam Berman (reproduced with permission)



Scoring

pf solo-2(II=picc).2.2(II=bcl).2-3.2.2.1-perc(2)-str(6.6.5.4.4)

Note: 'cross Broadway also exists in a version for solo piano

Commissioned by

ZaterdagMatinee

Written for

John Snijders & Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic

Dedicated to

Susanna Eastburn

Première

(as part of NYConcerto)
24 March 2007
ZaterdagMatinee
Concertgebouw Amsterdam (Netherlands)
John Snijders (piano)
Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic
Stefan Asbury (conductor)



Picture
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Press

[...] His NYConcerto contains many jazz related references, and appeals immediately as one solid chunk of vitality, unparalleled in recent Dutch musical life. [...] NYConcerto went down extremely well with the audience of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. The catching, Bernsteinesque elegance of the performance by the [Netherlands] Radio Chamber Philharmonic, conducted by Stefan Asbury, and the magnificent solo by John Snijders completed this feast. [...]

Roeland Hazendonk, De Telegraaf, 26 March 2007


[...] Serving as main course, as well as breathtaking finale, was Rijnvos's NYConcerto. The piano concerto in three movements is part of an evening-long New York cycle which has six movements in total. This promises to turn into quite something, as the amount of notes that were being jet-sprayed into the hall within thirty-five minutes was already overwhelming. [...]

Frits van der Waa, De Volkskrant, 26 March 2007


[...] In his intelligent way of quoting Rijnvos proves himself heir to Stravinsky. Gershwin, Ives, Monk: they all pass by, yet it is the composer himself who is clearly in control of the restlessly roaring urban vision. [...]

Jochem Valkenburg, NRC Handelsblad, 26 March 2007



Audio fragments

Performance

John Snijders (piano) & Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic
Stefan Asbury - conductor

recording

24 March 2007, ZaterdagMatinee, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
by Dutch Radio NPS/AVRO/TROS (reproduced with permission)


'cross Broadway

excerpt 1

'cross Broadway

excerpt 2

'cross Broadway

excerpt 3



Score Excerpts




Part of



CD Recording