This, my first concerto, and the work I hold dearest even today, nevertheless cost me not only three months of composition but also several years of doubt and revision. It was first performed in Cannes in the year of its composition (in April 1990, with the P.A.C.A. regional orchestra), and for many years I alone took the solo part with various orchestras in numerous countries. Finally the release of the recording (which took place in Armenia) and the appearance of the indispensable piano reduction have made it possible for theConcerto mtisto lead an independent life of its own, both for soloists and within music conservatoires. This concerto for guitar and string orchestra, written in homage to the divine Ida Presti, is in classical form (fast-slow-fast + cadenza), is marked by its “racial” variety which permeates the whole, and which unambiguously explains the word “mtis”, a racial mixture.

Roland Dyens

Dedication

homage to Ida Presti