René Staar

L'homme sans avenir op. 22/k.quater

L'homme sans avenir [Man without future] was created at the request of the piano duo Harald Ossberger and Christos Marantos as a reaction to the situation of a generation that is neglected by politics and society. The movement titles Sans perspectives (Without perspectives), Dernier espoir (Last hope), and Hallucinations (Hallucinations) seem to point to those who are already called the lost generation by many interpreters of our time, even if the form naturally follows purely musical developments. In the first movement, there is a “clash" between the two players. Their confrontations lead into seemingly hopeless situations, until only abrupt, or perhaps broken thoughts can be heard. In the second movement, something like a rudimentary melody is still allowed as a "last flower of romanticism. The last movement, finally, is dominated by hallucinations as the last bastion of long-lost confidence. Nevertheless, because of its liveliness, this is a piece of hope within a difficult situation.