Night Flight was written as the obligatory work for the finalists of the International Conducting Competition Rotterdam. It is a 7-minute scherzo that has to be played from beginning to end in a very energetic tempo. The music has something volatile (in the sense of ‘on the run’) as well as nocturnal in character, hence the title. The challenge for the conductors is to maintain the high energy throughout the piece while striving for the greatest possible orchestral transparency and rhythmic precision. There are constant changes of time in the piece and the rhythms should be given a pop-like tightness. Night Flight will also be part of a larger, multipart symphony (Symphony No.1) that will be premiered by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in the autumn.
The final will be on June 3 and will be broadcasted live on NPO Radio4.
Composers in the crosshairs of our attention