Jesse Ayers' Waldstein Express for 2-pianos 8-hands performed May 2009 in Bijeljina, Repubic of Srpska by Dubravka Radovic, Jasna Jusovic, Vesna Zelenovic, Milena Vukosavljevic, Slavisa Stojanovic (all students of Prof. Dr. Dubravka Jovicic).

There were five students who wanted to perform this piece, so to add to the humor of the piece, the fifth player meanders in as though he is a passerby, and rotates into the piece.  I love the enthusiasm in this performance!

The work is based on the opening two measures of Beethoven's Sonata No. 21 in C major "Waldstein" and also briefly quotes Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Bach's Prelude in C major from the WTC, plus a little Gershwin and Jerry Lee Lewis.  

Video of complete work

Jesse Ayers' Waldstein Express for 2-pianos 8-hands performed May 2009 in Bijeljina, Repubic of Srpska by Dubravka Radovic, Jasna Jusovic, Vesna Zelenovic, Milena Vukosavljevic, Slavisa Stojanovic (all students of Prof. Dr. Dubravka Jovicic).

Ayers' Waldstein Express selected for national composers' conference

April 3, 2009.   Jesse Ayers' Waldstein Express for 2-pianos 8-hands was performed at the national conference of the Society of Composers held in Santa Fe April 2009.  This is the second time Ayers music has been performed at an SCI national. In 2005, his work for wind orchestra The Fire of the Living God was performed at the SCI National Conference in Greensboro, NC.

Program Notes

Minimalist Beethoven rushing down the tracks!  Waldstein Express is an energetic fantasia based on the first movement of Beethoven's Sonata No. 21, (Op. 53) "Waldstein."   Beethoven's opening two measures are repeated throughout (á la Steve Reich) as a ground bass, with other motivic fragments from Beethoven's original appearing in the upper voices along with freely composed material.  Other cameo appearances include the bass line from the coda of the first movement Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, the opening of the C major prelude from the Bach "Well Tempered Clavier," a little Gershwin, and a little Jerry Lee Lewis.

The score carries the dedication "to my friend and colleague, Sandra Carnes, Chair of the Department of Fine Arts and Coordinator of Keyboard Studies, Malone University."

Suggested script for explaining this piece to the audience

1.   Original, composed 1803
             Piano 4 - play Beethoven Waldstein, first movement, bars 1-8

2.   Use of opening as ground bass
             Piano 4 - play Ayers, bars 1-8 (Piano 4's part only)

3.   Use of opening motives
            Piano 4 - Beethoven, bars 1-4
            Piano 2 - Ayers, bar 9
            Piano 1 - Ayers, bar 10
            Everyone - Ayers, begin bar 9, play 4 bars

4.   Broken octave figure (transition to subordinate theme)
             Piano 4 - Beethoven, bars 31-34
             Everyone plays (Piano 3 has figure) - Ayers, begin bars 149, play 8 bars

5.  Subordinate theme
            Piano 4 - Beethoven, bars 35-41
            Everyone (Piano 1 has figure) - Ayers, begin bar 245, play 8 bars

6.  Mixture of composers
            Piano 4 - Beethoven, bars 66-67

            Point out left hand arpeggiated figure (play left hand alone)
                  Piano 1 - Ayers, begin bar 105, play 4 bars

            Mixed with:
                 Piano 3 - Ayers, begin 105, play 4 bars (Bach C maj from WTC)

            Together:
                  Piano 3 and Piano 1, same spot

             Right hand of passage is also mixed with a different composer
                  Piano 4 - repeat previous (Beethoven, bars 66-67)

             Point out right hand eighth figure (play right hand alone)
                  Piano 3 & Piano 4 - Ayers, begin bar 185, play 4 bars (Gershwin)