Westcoast

Under the title "Westcoast Concerto", Kees Vlak composed a concerto for piano and wind orchestra, a still rather rare form of composition in the repertoire for symphonic wind orchestra. Vlak's aim was to implement his idea of "music as communication", with moments of tension and relaxation and with surprising twists for the listener. The interaction between soloist and orchestra was also to be developed in the best possible way.

The composer's structure follows the standard pattern with three parts and coda: in addition to the main theme, which runs like a leitmotif through the entire work, the character of the first movement is determined by sonorously concentrated chords with many fourths. The second movement is already traditionally conceived as blues. The following third movement is an "interrupted serenade" with Latin American interjections, recurring bitonal interruptions and an interplay of loud and quiet. The concluding Grandioso Cantabile, in which the "Blue Notes" once again come to the fore in a sonorous way, leads "Westcoast Concerto" to a stirring conclusion.