Seventeen Minutes and Twenty-Two Seconds
A Commissioning Consortium
Terms of the Project
TIMELINE
➢Consortium Launch: October 2021
➢Professionally engraved digital score sent to Pianists: March 15, 2022
➢Premiere Performances: September 2022 - Summer 2023
➢First performance: August 2022 by Lead Commissioner Jeff LaDeur (pianist) and the San Francisco International Piano Festival. All additional performances may take place September 2022-Summer 2023.
THE WORK
➢Seventeen Minutes and Twenty-Two Seconds is designed as a virtuoso piece celebrating the 300th Anniversary of the publication of Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier, as well as the music and recent passing of jazz icon Chick Corea.
➢The composition will be a raucous, loud, fun showpiece that will quote liberally from and make many allusions to both the Well Tempered Clavier and Chick Corea and the greater jazz tradition.
➢Estimated length of piece: 12-15 minutes (or maybe Seventeen Minutes and Twenty-Two Seconds?!?)
➢In keeping with the spirit of improvisation found in both the jazz tradition as well as Bach’s reputation as an improviser of the highest caliber, the piece will contain some structured improvisation sections allowing performers to personalize their performances using real-time choices. For those pianists who are not accustomed to improvising in public, the composer will provide shortcuts to minimize any discomfort.
PROJECT DETAILS
➢Pianist agrees to perform the new work Seventeen Minutes and Twenty-Two Seconds a minimum of two (2) times in public performances during the 2022-2023 Season. In case of performance space closures due to covid, online performances are an acceptable alternative.
➢All performers in the Commissioning Consortium will be credited as co-commissioners of the new work in print, interview, public announcements, podcasts, and on the written score.
➢Commissioning Consortium pianists will have exclusive rights to perform Seventeen Minutes and Twenty-Two Seconds from September 2022 until Summer 2023.
➢Composer Kurt Erickson will make himself available to assist with publicity opportunities as they arise (interviews in print, podcast, and video, etc.). Please contact us as if/when opportunities become available.
➢Due to the unique nature of this project (multiple pianists, celebrating a major anniversary of an esteemed composer, etc.) we will pursue and anticipate many publicity opportunities, including: talks at conferences, interviews in music print media, interviews in online music media, interviews in non-music media sources,
➢Composer Kurt Erickson will provide regular updates and samples to participating pianists as the piece is being written.
➢Erickson and the consortium team will promote performances of each and every performer’s performance via newsletter, websites, and numerous social media outlets. We will host live streaming performances on a designated website dedicated to the project as the situations permit..
➢During the learning and rehearsal process, Erickson is happy to provide feedback and answer any questions leading up to the premiere performances.
COSTS
➢Composer Kurt Erickson agrees to waive his usual commissioning fees in exchange for public performances across the globe by pianist members of the Seventeen Minutes and Twenty-Two Seconds Commissioning Consortium.
➢Performers agree to contribute a nominal $150 administrative fee to help offset the costs of professional engraving costs, publicity assistance (I’ll be working with Beth Beauchamp Artist Services), website creation, streaming assistance, and other assorted publicity expenses.
It is difficult to express how excited I am about both this new piece and the project!! This work has become a love letter to the instrument and the composers...Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking part in this unique consortium and I.
Thank You,
Kurt