This is so far my largest work as a composer. I wrote the piece in 2012.
Inspiration is obviously the great “Top Gun Anthem” that genius composer Harold Faltermeyer composed as the soundtrack for the Hollywood Blockbuster “Top Gun” from which i adapted the original theme to the cello. All the following variations are my own work. I hope Harold Faltermeyer doesn’t mind the use of his “Top Gun Anthem” as the theme for my “Top Gun Variations”. I tried to contact him to know for sure but didn’t get an answer. Please let me know if I violate a copyright and I will take this video down immediately.
Concert took place in Fribourg, Centre le Phénix on January 13, 2013.
Sebastian Diezig, Cellist, performing Giovanni Sollima’s “La Folia”.
The piece was written in 2007 and has an unusual scordatura requiring the cellist to tune the C string down to a G which gives this double bass sound in the bass lines. I was awarded the special price for the performance of this particular work at Janigro Competition 2008 in Zagreb.
Live Recording October 2, 2011 in Neuchâtel, Chapelle de la Maladière.
Sebastian Diezig plays Sándor Veress’ Sonata for cello solo.
Live Recording Aarau July 21, 2011. Program for that recital was the solo sonatas by Veress and Kodaly.
“The last movement of the Veress solo sonata displayed in this video is very tricky to play by heart. I like it very much though because it shows the composer’s seemingly unlimited musical imagination. This music is not tonal but still sounds right, you know what i mean?
Sebastian Diezig plays Zoltán Kodály’s Sonata for cello solo.
Live Recording Aarau July 21, 2011.
“Program for that recital was the solo sonatas by Veress and Kodaly, which was a healthy challenge. I would do it again anytime though.
The Veress Solo Sonata is not exactly easy but this Kodaly Sonata is probably the most difficult piece I have learned so far. Anyways, I love to play it because it is great music and playing this kind of material keeps me in shape and helps me progress.
This Kodaly composition is a milestone in cello playing technique. I think it did for the cello a comparable job as Bach’s Suites did a couple of hundred years earlier in order to help establishing the instrument in a solo recital setting.
In order to play this piece you have to tune the C string down to a B and the G string down to an F sharp. Makes the whole thing a little tricky but as I said this is one of the great solo pieces of the 20th century so it pays off.
As you can see: Double-stops all the time, left-hand pizzicatos at every corner, extremely fast virtuosic passages, all the notes of the cello used from the lowest up to the highest (sometimes at once) and of course this scordatura (the lower two strings need to be tuned down half a step). In addition it’s not easy to play by heart because it is quite complicated. But you have no choice as there is no time for page turning.”
Sebastian Diezig, cellist plays Pablo Casals “Song of the Birds” as an encore.
Live in Aarau, July 21, 2011. Program for that recital was the solo sonatas by Veress and Kodaly.
