Canta-Concerto

Last updated

The Canta-Concerto is a concerto for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by the American composer Marc Neikrug. The work was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic and was completed in May 2014. It was first performed by the mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Alan Gilbert at David Geffen Hall on October 1, 2015. The piece is dedicated to Alan Gilbert. [1]

Concerto musical composition usually in three parts

A concerto is a musical composition generally composed of three movements, in which, usually, one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra or concert band. It is accepted that its characteristics and definition have changed over time. In the 17th century, sacred works for voices and orchestra were typically called concertos, as reflected by J. S. Bach's usage of the title "concerto" for many of the works that we know as cantatas.

A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (, ; Italian: [ˈmɛddzo soˈpraːno] meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e. A3–A5 in scientific pitch notation, where middle C = C4; 220–880 Hz). In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the F below middle C (F3, 175 Hz) and as high as "high C" (C6, 1047 Hz). The mezzo-soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, lyric, and dramatic mezzo-soprano.

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.

Contents

Composition

Background

Neikrug conceived the Canta-Concerto as concerto for voice—a genre with few examples in the classical repertoire. In the score program notes, the composer wrote, "Instrumental students are always told by their teachers that the voice is the most natural and beautiful instrument and should be imitated. But it struck me that with the exception of a concerto by Glière, there are no concertos for voice." He continued, "Since vocalists are very tied to 'the word,' they are always choosing a middle ground between diction and pure sound production. I wanted to write a piece where the sound production dominates and the range of emotional context was that of a concerto for an instrument." The composition has a duration of approximately 25 minutes and is cast in four numbered movements, which Neikrug described as "a dramatic first movement, a scherzo-like interlude, a slow movement, and a finale that owes more than a bit to jazz." [1]

Reinhold Glière ukrainian soviet composer

Reinhold Moritzevich Glière, PAU, was a composer in the Russian Empire and Soviet Union, of German and Polish descent.

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.

A scherzo, in western classical music, is a short composition – sometimes a movement from a larger work such as a symphony or a sonata. The precise definition has varied over the years, but scherzo often refers to a movement that replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or string quartet. The term can also refer to a fast-moving humorous composition that may or may not be part of a larger work.

Instrumentation

The work is scored for a solo mezzo-soprano and an orchestra comprising three flutes (one doubling alto flute), three oboes (one doubling cor anglais, three clarinets (one doubling bass clarinet), two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two trombones, tuba, timpani, three percussionists, harp, celesta, 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.

Alto flute type of flute

The alto flute is a type of Western concert flute, a musical instrument in the woodwind family. It is the next extension downward of the C flute after the flûte d'amour. It is characterized by its distinct, mellow tone in the lower portion of its range. It is a transposing instrument in G, and uses the same fingerings as the C flute.

Oboe musical instrument of the woodwind family

Oboes belong to the classification of double reed woodwind instruments. Oboes are usually made of wood, but there are also oboes made of synthetic materials. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. 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 the word 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

Reception

Reviewing the world premiere, Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times called the Canta-Concerto a "skillfully written piece" and wrote, " He continued:

Anthony "Tony" Tommasini is chief music critic for The New York Times, and has authored three books.

<i>The New York Times</i> Daily broadsheet newspaper based in New York City

The New York Times is an American newspaper based in New York City with worldwide influence and readership. Founded in 1851, the paper has won 125 Pulitzer Prizes, more than any other newspaper. The Times is ranked 17th in the world by circulation and 2nd in the U.S.

Mr. Neikrug's compositional language for Canta-Concerto, established in the first orchestral stirrings of the fitful opening movement, seems inspired by the Expressionist style of Berg. The music begins with a pungent, sustained sonority, a quivering mass of sounds, within which fragments dart about. The soloist enters, singing an unfolding line that has melodic shape, yet keeps breaking into sputtering bursts. For all the variety of the vocal part, which evokes instrumental writing in its virtuosity, it was hard to avoid trying to find some meaning in what Ms. Cooke was singing. Was this some strange language? Surely Mr. Neikrug intended us to have this mixed reaction, both fascinated and frustrated.

Alban Berg Austrian composer

Alban Maria Johannes Berg was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with twelve-tone technique.

The second movement, alive with percussion instruments, is short, percolating and angry. The dark, heavy, slow third movement, thick with atonal angst in the orchestra, finally gives the soloist long, searching melodic lines, which Ms. Cooke, singing with warmth and poignancy, made the most of. The jazzy finale has playful stretches, almost like scatting, as the soloist seems to take defiant command of the proceedings.

Tommasini nevertheless added, "Canta-Concerto inventively rattles your expectations of what a work for voice and orchestra can be. The music itself, however, on first hearing, lacked a final measure of inspiration and originality; it was a little dourly Bergian." [2]

Arlo McKinnon of Opera News was more critical of the work, however, observing:

Neikrug seemed to employ the orchestra primarily as a background texture to the singer, not as a partner in dialogue. At varying tempos, the music remained highly static. The overall effect was like that of looking at a revolving prism: one observed many beautiful colors, but soon got the idea and is ready to move on to something else. Essentially, in Canta-Concerto Neikrug gave us twenty-five minutes of this effect, which was about twenty minutes more of it than the most listeners needed. Only in the final minutes of the fourth movement did there seem to be a new direction developing, but this impulse arrived too late and delivered too little. [3]

Related Research Articles

Mark-Anthony Turnage CBE is an English composer of classical music.

John Harris Harbison is an American composer, known for his symphonies, operas, and large choral works.

Richard Danielpour is an American composer.

Peter Lieberson was an American classical composer.

Emil Tabakov Bulgarian conductor

Emil Tabakov[ɛˈmiʎ taˈbakov] (Bulgarian: Емил Табаков is a Bulgarian conductor, composer and double-bass player.

David Horne is a Scottish composer, pianist, and teacher.

William Jay Sydeman is an American composer. Born in New York, he studied at the Mannes School of Music, where he later taught composition (1960–1970). Winning early acclaim for his avant-garde music, he felt trapped by the prevailing orthodoxies and moved to California in 1970, beginning a period of wandering during which he also studied Buddhism and Anthroposophy. He joined ASCAP in 1975. In 1981 he settled in Sacramento and resumed composition at his former prolific rate, having newly embraced a neotonal musical language. He currently resides in Mendocino.

The Soprano Sax Concerto is a concerto for soprano saxophone and orchestra by the American composer Jennifer Higdon. The work was originally commissioned by the Minnesota Commissioning Club as Higdon's Oboe Concerto and was premiered by oboist Kathy Greenbank and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in 2005. Higdon later reworked the composition, however, and the piece was premiered in its form as a saxophone concerto on August 3, 2007 at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music by the saxophonist Timothy McAllister and the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra under the conductor Marin Alsop.

The Asko Concerto is a concerto for chamber orchestra by the American composer Elliott Carter. The work was commissioned by the Dutch chamber group Asko Ensemble, for which the piece is titled. It was composed in January 2000 and was first performed in Concertgebouw, Amsterdam on April 26, 2000, by the Asko ensemble under the conductor Oliver Knussen. The piece is dedicated to Asko/Schönberg.

The Concerto for Orchestra is an orchestral composition by the American composer Marc Neikrug. The work was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic and was completed in May 2011. It was given its world premiere by the New York Philharmonic under the conductor Alan Gilbert at Avery Fisher Hall on April 26, 2012. The concerto is dedicated to Alan Gilbert.

One Sweet Morning is a four-movement song cycle for mezzo-soprano solo and orchestra by the American composer John Corigliano. The work was jointly commissioned by the New York Philharmonic and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. It was given its world premiere on September 30, 2011, by the mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe and the New York Philharmonic under the conductor Alan Gilbert. The piece is dedicated to the memory of Natalie and Serge Koussevitzky.

The Concerto for Two Flutes and Orchestra is a composition for two flutes and orchestra by the American composer Steven Stucky. The work was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, for which Stucky was formerly composer-in-residence and then New Music Adviser. The piece was composed from October through December 1994 and was given its world premiere in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen on February 23, 1995.

The Pied Piper Fantasy is a concerto for flute and orchestra by the American composer John Corigliano. The work was commissioned by the flutist James Galway and it is based on the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The piece was given its world premiere by Galway and the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the conductor Myung-whun Chung at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on February 4, 1982. In 1993, the critic Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times described it as "one of the best known of modern American concertos."

America: A Prophecy is a composition for mezzo-soprano and orchestra with an optional chorus by the British composer Thomas Adès. The work was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic with financial contributions from the Francis Goelet Fund. It was given its world premiere by the mezzo-soprano Beth Clayton, the Westminster Symphonic Choir, and the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Kurt Masur at Avery Fisher Hall on November 11, 1999.

Vocalise is a composition for soprano, electronics, and orchestra by the American composer John Corigliano. The work was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Kurt Masur with financial contributions from the Francis Goelet Fund. It was given its world premiere by the soprano Sylvia McNair and the New York Philharmonic under Masur at Avery Fisher Hall on November 11, 1999. The piece is dedicated to Sylvia McNair.

Kraft is a composition for solo ensemble, electronics, and orchestra by the Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg. The work was commissioned by the Helsinki Festival and was first performed on September 4, 1985 by the Toimii ensemble and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Esa-Pekka Salonen. The piece was awarded the International Rostrum of Composers in 1986 and won the Nordic Council Music Prize in 1988.

The Piano Concerto is a composition for piano and orchestra by the Austrian composer Heinz Karl Gruber. The work was commissioned for the pianist Emanuel Ax by the New York Philharmonic, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich. It was composed from 2014 through 2016 and was given its world premiere by Emanuel Ax and the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Alan Gilbert at David Geffen Hall on January 5, 2017.

Geoffrey Gordon is an American composer of classical music.

The Cello Concerto is a composition for cello and orchestra by the Finnish composer Esa-Pekka Salonen. The work was co-commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Barbican Centre, and the Elbphilharmonie. It was completed in 2017 and was first performed by the cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Salonen on March 9, 2017. The piece is dedicated to Yo-Yo Ma.

Unearth, Release is a viola concerto by the American composer Julia Adolphe. The work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras and the New York Philharmonic with support from the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. It was first performed on July 16, 2016, at Guilford College by the violist Cynthia Phelps and Eastern Music Festival Orchestra under Gerard Schwarz. Adolphe later revised the work, however, and the revised version was given its premiere on November 17, 2016, at David Geffen Hall by Phelps and the New York Philharmonic conducted by Jaap van Zweden. Adolphe dedicated the piece Cynthia Phelps and the New York Philharmonic.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Neikrug, Marc (2014). "Canta-Concerto". G. Schirmer Inc. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  2. ↑ Tommasini, Anthony (October 2, 2015). "Review: 'Canta-Concerto' by Marc Neikrug by the New York Philharmonic". The New York Times . Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  3. ↑ McKinnon, Arlo (January 2016). "Canta-Concerto". Opera News . Retrieved September 17, 2017.
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.