Strauss-Variations on a Theme by Mozart-4T

This composition was inspired by the elegance, artistry, and effortlessness of the piano playing by international soloist, Jeffrey Kahane. I was fortunate to have had multiple opportunities to play as the timpanist during some of his concerto performances with various orchestras.

It was specifically at a performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major, K. 482 with the San Diego Symphony that sparked the idea of a composition for solo timpani. The beginning of Mr. Kahane’s cadenza for this particular concerto consists of a short duet between the pianist and timpanist utilizing the main theme of the work. Following this playful dialogue, the pianist alone plays out the remainder of this beautifully written cadenza. During my rests in the slow movement, I envisioned a scenario where the timpanist (and not the pianist) would finish the cadenza as the soloist. This idea transformed into a stand alone timpani solo composed as a theme and variations that always stayed true to the main theme found in the first movement of Mozart’s concerto.

- Matthew Strauss

• Number of players: 1
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Instrumentation: 4 timpani