Julien-François Zbinden

Blüthner Variations op. 111

For me, the time has come to honor someone who has faithfully accompanied me since 1947, for over 65 years, and has been a witness to my joys and sorrows in composing my Opera 8 to 111. Today we still share a passion for jazz music and our wonderful complicity is preserved on the CD album The Last Call...?*, which I recorded at the age of 93. That someone is my grand piano, which is over a hundred years old: Blüthner No. 89293, model 190, built in Leipzig (Germany) in 1910. This Opus 111, which will be my very last piano work, is dedicated to him. The Blüthner Variations are based on a theme that I came up with during the recording of the album mentioned above. I called it Blues in Three because it is in the traditional harmonic sequence of a 12-bar blues, but in 3/4 time. From the simplicity of the theme repeating twice, 8 variations have emerged, each with different pianistic demands. I hope that future performers will be attracted by the inevitable jazzy coloration of this work. Julien-François Zbinden, Lausanne - Valombré, 23 juillet 2012 * The Last Call...? , Album piano solo, TCB The Montreux Jazz Label No. 43102