The concerto takes the historical figure of the brutal impaler Vlad Tzepesch (1431-1476) as its starting point and subsequently develops the myth into an overwrought and gruesome piece of work: 1: “Oderint dum metuant” is a raving Allegro with a Baroque ritornello structure and modern “Draculisms”. 2: “Luna su Tirgoviste” is a memoriam for the thousands of impaled victims who came to a violent end in today’s Târgoviste. 3: “Il ballo transilvano” confronts a naive waltz rhythm with aggressive polyrhythmic reinterpretations – in the manner of the stick and the carrot. 4: “Bacio di sangue” is Neo-Baroque horror music which has got out of hand, demanding extreme virtuosity from both soloists and ensemble. Enjott Schneider