Black Rainbow (composition)

Last updated

Black Rainbow is an orchestral composition in two movements by the British composer Charlotte Bray. The work was commissioned by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and was first performed in Birmingham on February 23, 2014 by the CBSO Youth Orchestra under conductor Jac van Steen. [1] [2]

Orchestra large instrumental ensemble

An orchestra is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which mixes instruments from different families, including bowed string instruments such as violin, viola, cello, and double bass, as well as brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments, each grouped in sections. Other instruments such as the piano and celesta may sometimes appear in a fifth keyboard section or may stand alone, as may the concert harp and, for performances of some modern compositions, electronic instruments.

Charlotte Bray is a British composer.

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra orchestra based in Birmingham, England

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. It is the resident orchestra at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, which has been its principal performance venue since 1991. Its administrative and rehearsal base is at the nearby CBSO Centre, where it also presents chamber concerts by members of the orchestra and guest performers.

Contents

Composition

Black Rainbow has a duration of roughly 12 minutes and is composed in two movements. The music was inspired by the design of the Pageant Amphitheater at the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, which Bray described as a "stunning space" with "intense, powerful energy." She wrote in the score program notes:

A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession. A movement is a section, "a major structural unit perceived as the result of the coincidence of relatively large numbers of structural phenomena".

A unit of a larger work that may stand by itself as a complete composition. Such divisions are usually self-contained. Most often the sequence of movements is arranged fast-slow-fast or in some other order that provides contrast.

MacDowell Colony art colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, U.S.A.

The MacDowell Colony is an artists' colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, United States, founded in 1907 by pianist and philanthropist Marian MacDowell. She established it through a nonprofit association in honor of her husband, composer Edward MacDowell, raising funds to transform her farm into a quiet retreat for creative artists to work. She led the colony for almost 25 years, against a background of two world wars, the Great Depression, and other challenges.

Peterborough, New Hampshire Town in New Hampshire, United States

Peterborough is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,284 at the 2010 census. The central settlement in town, with 3,103 people at the 2010 census, is defined as the Peterborough census-designated place (CDP) and is located along the Contoocook River at the junction of U.S. Route 202 and New Hampshire Route 101. The community is 38 miles (61 km) west of Manchester and 72 miles (116 km) northwest of Boston.

The work is an expression of imagined scenes played out here. A rainbow seen at night can be referred to as a black rainbow; difficult to see, the colors are often hidden; a metaphor for something sought after but impossible to attain, an alluring ongoing search. [1]

She also described the nature of the two movements, adding, "The first movement is dark and ritualistic. It’s mid summer and the air is tight, uncomfortable. The light grey, purple almost. The second is fleeting, sensual; time is suspended, a dream-like state." [1]

Instrumentation

The work is scored for an orchestra comprising three flutes, three oboes, three clarinets, three bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, three percussionists, harp, and strings. [1]

Western concert flute transverse woodwind instrument made of metal or wood

The Western concert flute is a transverse (side-blown) woodwind instrument made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute. A musician who plays the flute is called a flautist, flutist, flute player, or (rarely) fluter.

Oboe musical instrument of the woodwind family

Oboes are a family of double reed woodwind instruments. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. Oboes are usually made of wood, but there are also oboes made of synthetic materials. A soprano oboe measures roughly 65 cm long, with metal keys, a conical bore and a flared bell. Sound is produced by blowing into the reed at a sufficient air pressure, causing it to vibrate with the air column. The distinctive tone is versatile and has been described as "bright". When oboe is used alone, it is generally taken to mean the treble instrument rather than other instruments of the family, such as the bass oboe, the cor anglais, or oboe d'amore

Clarinet type of woodwind instrument

The clarinet is a musical-instrument family belonging to the group known as the woodwind instruments. It has a single-reed mouthpiece, a straight, cylindrical tube with an almost cylindrical bore, and a flared bell. A person who plays a clarinet is called a clarinetist.

Reception

Reviewing the world premiere, Norman Stinchcombe of the Birmingham Post described Black Rainbow as "short (...) but spectacular, with a battery of brass and percussion and a demanding role for the orchestra's excellent wind section." He added, "The hushed opening with muted growling brass was suitably menacing and if the central trumpet ostinato outstayed its welcome the gradual manoeuvre from manic energy to questioning quiet, and the handling of large orchestral forces, was skillfully done." [3] Martin Dreyer of The Press similarly remarked that the piece "carried a sense of menace through its 12 minutes, leaning mainly on brass and timpani for its spare effects. Its fascination lay in its internal rhythms and clear textures." [4] Colin Anderson of Classical Source said it "comes off superbly as absolute music" and wrote, "It’s another striking piece from Bray, full of and inspired by theatrical imagination." [5]

The Birmingham Post is a weekly printed newspaper based in Birmingham, England, with a circulation of 3,362 and distribution throughout the West Midlands. First published under the name the Birmingham Daily Post in 1857, it has had a succession of distinguished editors and has played an influential role in the life and politics of the city. It is currently owned by Reach plc. In June 2013, it launched a daily tablet edition called Birmingham Post Business Daily.

The Press is the local daily paper for a substantial area of North and East Yorkshire, based in the city of York. It is printed by the Newsquest (York) Ltd, a subsidiary of the Newsquest Media Group.

Absolute music is music that is not explicitly "about" anything; in contrast to program music, it is non-representational. The idea of absolute music developed at the end of the 18th century in the writings of authors of early German Romanticism, such as Wilhelm Heinrich Wackenroder, Ludwig Tieck and E. T. A. Hoffmann but the term was not coined until 1846 where it was first used by Richard Wagner in a programme to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

Related Research Articles

Symphony No. 7 (Mahler) symphony by Gustav Mahler

Symphony No. 7 by Gustav Mahler was written in 1904–05, with repeated revisions to the scoring. It is sometimes referred to by the title Song of the Night, which Mahler never knew. Although the symphony is often described as being in the key of E minor, its tonal scheme is more complicated. The symphony's first movement moves from B minor (introduction) to E minor, and the work ends with a rondo finale in C major. Thus, as Dika Newlin has pointed out, "in this symphony Mahler returns to the ideal of 'progressive tonality' which he had abandoned in the Sixth". The complexity of the work's tonal scheme was analysed in terms of "interlocking structures" by Graham George.

Hans Abrahamsen composer

Hans Abrahamsen is a Danish composer.

Julian Anderson is a British composer and teacher of composition.

David Sartor is an American composer and conductor of symphonic, chamber, and choral music. He is adjunct professor of music at Middle Tennessee State University, adjunct professor of music at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee, and music director of the Parthenon Chamber Orchestra.

The CBSO Youth Orchestra in Birmingham, England is an amateur symphony orchestra for young people managed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO). The orchestra is based at CBSO Centre but performs at Symphony Hall, Birmingham; membership is drawn from the entire Midlands region.

Michael Seal is a British orchestral conductor and classical violinist. Since 2011 he has served as the Associate Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), having served previously as the orchestra's Assistant Conductor. He is only the second conductor to be given the title of Associate Conductor at the CBSO. The first was Harold Gray who served in that capacity for several decades until his retirement in 1972. In addition to his conducting, Seal played in the violin section of the CBSO from 1992 to 2014.

Andris Nelsons Latvian conductor

Andris Nelsons is a Latvian conductor. He is currently the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Gewandhauskapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.

A timpani concerto is piece of music written for timpani with orchestral accompaniment. It is usually in three parts or movements.

Deus ex Machina is a piano concerto by the American composer Michael Daugherty. The 33-minute work was jointly commissioned by the Charlotte, Nashville, New Jersey, Rochester and Syracuse Symphony Orchestras. It won the 2011 Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition for a recording by soloist Terrance Wilson and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Giancarlo Guerrero.

Symphony No. 10 is the tenth symphony by the American composer Philip Glass. The work was commissioned by the Orchestre Français des Jeunes and premiered August 9, 2012, with Dennis Russell Davies conducting the Orchestre Français des Jeunes at the Grand Théâtre de Provence in Aix-en-Provence, France. The piece had its United Kingdom premiere July 31, 2013 at The Proms in Royal Albert Hall.

Heimdall's Trumpet is a concerto for trumpet and orchestra by the American composer Christopher Rouse. It was commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for its principal trumpeter Christopher Martin. The piece was completed January 21, 2012 and premiered December 20, 2012 at Symphony Center in Chicago.

At the Speed of Stillness is an orchestral composition in one movement by the British composer Charlotte Bray. The work was commissioned by The Proms for the conductor Sir Mark Elder and the Aldeburgh World Orchestra. It was first performed July 29, 2012 at the Proms by the Aldeburgh World Orchestra under Sir Elder. The piece is dedicated to the British composer Mark-Anthony Turnage.

Caught in Treetops is a concerto for solo violin and chamber ensemble by the British composer Charlotte Bray. The work was commissioned by the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and Sound and Music. It was first performed on 14 November 2010 at the CBSO Centre, Birmingham by the violinist Alexandra Wood and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group under conductor Oliver Knussen. The piece is dedicated to the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.

Foreign Bodies is an orchestral composition in three movements by the Finnish composer Esa-Pekka Salonen. The work was commissioned by the Finnish Broadcasting Company and was first performed at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival on August 12, 2001 by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under the conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste.

Circle Map is a composition for orchestra and electronics by the Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. The work was jointly commissioned by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre National de France, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. It was first performed at the Holland Festival in Gashouder, Amsterdam on June 22, 2012, by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under the conductor Susanna Mälkki.

Three Illusions for Orchestra is an orchestral triptych by the American composer Elliott Carter. The complete work was given its world premiere in Symphony Hall, Boston, on October 6, 2005 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the conductor James Levine.

The Symphony No. 3 is an orchestral composition by the American composer John Harbison. The work was commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the conductor David Zinman for the orchestra's 75th anniversary. It was given its world premiere on February 26, 1991 by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra directed by Zinman. The piece is dedicated to Harbison's friend and fellow composer Christopher Rouse.

Left, alone is a piano concerto for the left hand and orchestra by the Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen. The work was commissioned by the Westdeutscher Rundfunk and co-commissioned by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Its world premiere was given by the pianist Alexandre Tharaud and the Westdeutscher Rundfunk Sinfonie-Orchester under the direction of Ilan Volkov on January 29, 2016. The piece is dedicated to Alexandre Tharaud.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Bray, Charlotte (2013). Black Rainbow: Program Note. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  2. ↑ "CBSO Youth Orchestra to premiere new work". The Birmingham Press. February 1, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  3. ↑ Stinchcombe, Norman (February 27, 2014). "Review: CBSO Youth Orchestra at Symphony Hall". Birmingham Post . Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  4. ↑ Dreyer, Martin (December 1, 2014). "Review: University of York Symphony Orchestra; Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York". The Press . Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  5. ↑ Anderson, Colin (March 14, 2015). "Kensington Symphony Orchestra/Alice Farnham – London premiere of Charlotte Bray's Black Rainbow & Prokofiev 7 – Martin James Bartlett plays Paganini Rhapsody". Classical Source. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.