Julien-François Zbinden

Solissimo I

I chose Solissimo as a general title for a series of works for unaccompanied instruments.

Solissimo I opens with a long recitativ set as a virtuosic cadenza. The simple serene theme that follows is succeeded by four variations: Moderato legato at a slightly faster tempo, Allegro scherzando in a very different atmosphere, Moderato marziale in form of a burlesque march that includes percussive key noises, and a very fast Allegro virtuoso consisting of all sixteenth notes. The final coda offers reminiscences of the theme ending fortissimo in the high register.
This work was premiered by Anne-Laure Pantillon, the dedicatee, on the 13th of May, 2005, in Lutry (Switzerland).
Julien-François Zbinden