DROPSHOT (2010)

With DROPSHOT, Žuraj continues his extensive cycle of compositions with titles lifted from the tennis manual. In tennis, a “drop shot” is a relatively light shot that bounces approximately one metre beyond the net, and then ideally changes direction, owing to the spin imparted upon the ball when it was struck. A drop shot typically alters the dynamics of play, since the opponent is forced to leave their default position at the base line and make a spirited dash towards the net.

Following on from the chamber works DEUCE and CROSSCOURT, DROPSHOT is the first work to take the form of a concerto. A concertino for two French horns and a mixed ensemble of ten musicians, DROPSHOT opens in the grand tradition of concerti with an “orchestral” tutti introduction, in which all of the instruments except the two soloists are present. This introduction begins almost imperceptibly in the instruments’ highest registers, and descends with increasing rapidity and a powerful crescendo to announce the entry of the soloists. These then indulge in a bold double cadenza, underscored by sparing accompaniment from the ensemble.