Composer Willem Jeths already had two piano concertos to his credit: his First Piano Concerto from 1994 and his Second, *Fas/Nefas*, from 1997. Over the past year, he has been working on his third. The new piece, titled “Scorching Passions,” is dedicated to soloist Ellen Corver. On May 2, she will premiere the work with the Residentie Orkest by Antony Hermus, during the closing concert of Dag in de Branding. Joep Christenhusz spoke with Willem Jeths Dag in de Branding for Dag in de Branding about his latest work.

How did a Third Piano Concerto come about after nearly thirty years?

“The immediate inspiration was a meeting with Ellen. I ran into her in Italy, where we both spend a lot of time. When she asked me if I’d be willing to write a concerto for her, I didn’t have to think twice. I said yes right away.”

How come?

“I’ve known Ellen for forty years, and I’ve always considered her a fantastic pianist. She has a deep understanding of avant-garde music, thanks in part to her close collaboration with Stockhausen, but she’s also thoroughly familiar with the classical repertoire. In the past, she has performed a lot of my music. Among other things, with her Osiris Trio, for which I wrote my trio Chiasmos at the time. I know her as a pianist who can really do anything. She is rhythmically very precise, but she can also color, phrase, and create long melodic lines beautifully. So yes, she is actually the ideal soloist.”

What can you tell us about the creative process?

“All in all, I’ve been working on this concerto for almost a year and a half. That’s a long time for me. I’ve lived and breathed the score, but to be honest, I’ve also struggled with it quite a bit. The piano concerto is a genre with a lot of weight behind it. So many composers have taken it on. Plus, I’d already written two myself, so what do you do with a third? I found that quite a challenge.”

In what ways does your Third Piano Concerto differ from its predecessors?

“Ultimately, ‘Scorching Passions’ became a response to my Second Piano Concerto, Fas/Nefas. That was a rather unconventional piece, very much focused on sound experimentation. The soloist played with their hands inside the instrument and with sticks on the strings. Ellen and I agreed pretty quickly that we didn’t want to go in that direction. She said: ‘Dear Willem, I really don’t feel like having to reach into the strings; please just write for the black and white keys.’ I completely agreed with her.”

Where does the sizzling title, “Scorching Passions,” come from?

My concerto is about love—literally, about “scorching passions.” In its three movements, I sought to give voice to different facets of desire through archetypal female figures. Even at an early stage, I knew I wanted to incorporate Alecto, one of the three Furies from Greek mythology. That image of an unapproachable, ruthless woman stayed with me. For me, it resonated strongly with Puccini’s Turandot, another ice queen thirsting for revenge who initially rejects love. But gradually, my female figure transforms. At first into a dazzling femme fatale who wants to be adored, but ultimately into the embodiment of true love, until death follows.

Joep Christenhusz

The photo of Willem Jeths was taken by Andreas Terlaak.