"Paris at night" for cello, piano and percussion
_____________________________________
___________________________________
“Two things have always fascinated me about this phenomenon: on the one hand, its pastoral, naïve, innocent appearance; on the other hand, its extremely intense colours and big, strong temperament. I have tried to combine these two dimensions in my composition,”
About a third of the way through the work, a new theme appears in the piano part – an affirmative, upwardly moving motif, first in a major key and then in the parallel minor. With its laconic expression and harmonic simplicity, the theme could be the pride of any Neoclassical composer or, who knows, perhaps even the masters of past centuries. It is followed by a rustling swell – this time played by the cello – that develops into a fully saturated melody and culmination.
The music’s forceful development paints a landscape in which the composer observes the dandelion field as if through a camera lens, first in close-up and then pulling back for the full image. This is idyllic simplicity framed in classic clarity and proportions. The blooming field of dandelions is caressed by the breeze, and a moment later one cannot tell anymore whether the movement of the flowers was real or just imagined.
Pelēcis – that master of simple expression – observes the flowers, observes himself and records everything.
Text by Dāvis Eņģelis