Sentimental

An effective concert, encore and examination piece in which a player spreads a jazzy sentiment on two instruments.

The idea of playing two instruments alternately in a single work came from Clark Terry whom I saw in a video. Alongside his virtuosity in alternating between the two instruments, I found the contrast in tonal colouring an interesting concept, almost as if a violinist changed to playing the violoncello.

The small cornet in E flat possesses a soft and velvety timbre which is closer to the flugelhorn than the better-known trumpet with its more incisive tone. “Sentimental” music requires smooth sounds. This composition is my tribute to Miles Davis and Chet Baker, two idols of my youth. Peter Eötvös, 2017