The composer Andrei Petrache was awarded with the Special Mention of the "Quoting Beethoven" musical composition contest, organized by the Goethe Institute from Bucharest, for the work entitled "Ludwigorous", written for bassoon and piano.

Andrei Petrache, you're the winner of the special mention offered within the Quoting Beethoven contest, with the work "Ludwigorous". Before talking about that, we'd want to know, what were your thoughts at the receiving of this award?

I was very happy, obviously. It was an honor for me to find myself among the winners of this contest, given its unique organization occasion. We'll not celebrate 250 years since Beethoven's birth ever again, so, in a way, under these circumstances, it was a true honor and I'm thrilled that my composition has been appreciated by the jury.

The title, "Ludwigorous", as we can guess, combines the first name of the Bonn titan with vigorous. How doesthis feature reflect in your work?

I tried to analyze the Beethovenian ethos and the vigor of his music seemed to me an essential aspect. Therefore, I used this combination in the title, and I bet on vigor in the short composition that I created, alongside other aspects, but among the essential elements I insisted on expressing this almost endless vigor that is present in Beethoven's music.

From a constructional point of view, what compositional techniques have you used and what famous themes have you quoted in it?

I quoted on a cell level, on a musical microstructural level from the introduction of the Symphony No. 1 and of the 1^st theme of the Symphony No. 1, but also from the slower introduction of the Symphony No. 4, but I tried to incorporate all these quotes in an atmosphere inspired by the Beethovenian ethos.I wanted, somehow, to go more in depth with his music and try to recreate, with my limited means obviously, that atmosphere of his music.

The prize you earned represents a musical documenting trip to Vienne. Do you consider these kind of experiences essential for a composer's development?

Absolutely.I was thrilled to find out what this prize represents. I can't wait. Honestly, I can't wait to get use of this experience. I've never been to Vienne, so it will be a premiere from that point of view as well. Yes, these experiences are very important. I think they open some doors, they somehow open the world to the artist, they take him out of his little nest.However, due to the pandemic conditions, I wanted to postpone the departure a little bit more. This voucher that I received can be used until the end of 2021, so I'll wait a little bit more for the things to settle so I can enjoy this experience in conditions as good as possible. From what I understood, I will be put in touch with the musical world from there, as well as with Romanians established in Vienne. There's a very big and active community in the musical field, so I can't wait to get there.