Azerbaijani Dance

Azerbaijani Dance (2005) is inspired by a folk Azerbaijani melody. Dorman restructures the traditional melody according to metric principles of Turkish and Central Asian music, draws on harmonies and textures characteristic of contemporary jazz, and weaves the different elements with superb counterpoint. The combination is mesmerizing. The piece explores colors of the piano that allude to folk instruments, such as hand bells, flutes, and hand drums. Azerbaijani Dance is styled as a short, dramatic virtuoso piece for piano – following the tradition of Liszt, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and others. Dorman composed the piece for Eliran Avni, to be included in this NAXOS release.