Color Music (Torke)

Last updated
Color Music
by Michael Torke
KeyMovement I: E
Movement II: D major
Movement III: E major
Movement IV: F-sharp major
Movement V: F minor
Genre Neoclassical music
Post-minimalism
ComposedMovement I: June 1984 (1984-06) –February 1985 (1985-02):
Movement II: 18 July 1985 (1985-07-18) –1 September 1985 (1985-09-01):
Movement III: 1986 (1986):
Movement IV: 1987 (1987):
Movement V: October 1988 (1988-10) –December 1988 (1988-12):
PerformedMovement I: 16 May 1985 (1985-05-16): New York City
Movement II: 23 November 1985 (1985-11-23): New York City
Movement III: 20 November 1986 (1986-11-20): Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Movement IV: 11 June 1987 (1987-06-11): New York City
Movement V: 3 February 1989 (1989-02-03): St. Paul, Minnesota
Movements5
ScoringOrchestra (Movement V, also chamber orchestra)

Color Music is a suite of five different compositions for orchestra by American composer Michael Torke. The suite is well known for its association with the composer's synesthesia.

Contents

Conception

When Michael Torke was studying musical composition in Yale University, he decided to start an early series of compositions "to celebrate without modulation a single color". As Torke himself puts it in the original program note for Ecstasic Orange:

Certain musical ideas make me think of colors. This personal synesthesia contributed its own vibrancy to my attitude towards the material. In the end, different shades of paint splash around the orchestral forces, but it is always some hue of orange.

—  Michael Torke, Ecstasic Orange program note [1]

Structure

Even though Torke wrote many more pieces with color titles, the suite consists only of five compositions, written between 1984 and 1988. The order of the movements in this suite has not been established, as the compositions were originally conceived separately, and have not been published together. Therefore, the Color Music label is merely a name to refer to the compositions included in it, and has been used in recordings, but not in its original publishing house, Boosey and Hawkes.

The list of compositions, sorted by year of composition, is as follows:

Ecstatic Orange

This composition was originally composed between June 1984 and February 1985 under the commission of ASCAP and Meet the Composer and was premiered on May 16, 1985. The premiere was carried out by the Brooklyn Philharmonic under the baton of Lukas Foss at Copper Union in New York City. [1] It is dedicated to Beth Roberts. [2]

According to musical critic Andrew Porter, the composition is in E. However, according to the composer, the "static material", that is, the tonal center of the composition gravitates towards a six note melody, G#-A-D-C#-B-E, which is never varied or transformed, but rather put in different context. The rhythmic pulse of the composition is based on a constant, insisting line formed by sixteenth notes. [1]

This composition takes approximately 11 minutes to perform, and is score for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in B-flat, two bassoons, four horns in F, a trumpet in D, two trumpets in B-flat, three trombones, a tuba, a piano, four timpani, a whole set of strings and a large percussion section. Along the piece, color headings appear in the score, entitled "Absinthe", "Apricot, "Terra Cotta", "Unripe Pumpkin", "Copper", etc. These headings refer to the different shades of orange experienced by the composer. As all the movements in this suite, this composition is monothematic. [3]

Bright Blue Music

This composition was composed between July 18 and September 1, 1985 and was commissioned by the New York Youth Symphony. It was premiered by this same orchestra under David Alan Miller at the Carnegie Hall in New York City, on November 23, 1985. [4] It was published in 1986 by Boosey and Hawkes. [5]

The composer associates the key of this composition, which is D major, to the blue color since he was five years old. Rhythmically, this composition is based on sixteenth notes, as his previous compositions Ecstasic Orange and Vanada. Since this is a monothematic composition, the melody never modulates. [4] [6]

The composition takes approximately 9 minutes to perform, and is scored for three flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in B-flat, two bassoons, four horns in F, three trumpets in C, three trombones, a tuba, timpani, a piano, a harp, a string section and a large percussion section, which takes four percussionists. [5]

Green

Initially entitled Verdant Music, Green was commissioned by the Robert E. Gard Wisconsin Idea Foundation and was first performed by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Lukas Foss, on November 20, 1986, in the Uihlein Hall, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [7] [8]

In this disposition, Torke associates E major, which is the invariable key of this composition, to the green color. The melody is a simple consecution of the notes F#-A-D#-E-B. This melody is maintained without changed, in different context, but always conveying the same idea. The tempo is much faster than in the previous movements. [7] As opposed to Bright Blue Music, Purple and Ash, this composition has an annotation halfway through the score, which indicates a "fresh green", another association of Torke. [8]

The composition takes around 12 minutes to perform and is scored for three flutes, two oboes, and English horn, two clarinets, a bass clarinet in B-flat, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, a tuba, timpani, a string section and a percussion section, which takes three percussionists. This composition is monothematic. [9]

Purple

Specifically composed to be included in the ballet Ecstatic Orange , which included the Green and Ecstasic Orange colors as well, Purple was premiered by the New York City Ballet Orchestra under the baton of Lukas Foss at the New York State Theatre in the Lincoln Center on June 11, 1987. [10] [11] It is the shortest composition in the set, lasting around six minutes. Scored for three flutes, two oboes, an English horn, two clarinets in A, one bass clarinet in B-flat, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, a tuba, timpani, a harp, a piano, a string section and a percussion section taking three percussionists, Purple is monothematic and highlights the brass, which give importance to the syncopating character of the piece. [12]

Ash

This composition was commissioned by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra with the support from the Jerome Foundation. It was composed between October and December 1988, and was premiered at the World Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota, by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, under John Adams (composer), on February 3, 1989. Given that the commissioner was a chamber orchestra, this is the only piece in the set that does not require a large orchestra. [13]

The composition is in F minor, and is the only composition in the set which modulates to another key. In this case, given its overt neoclassical nature, it modulates to A-flat major in some instances, only to return to F minor shortly after. In this case, color is not a preoccupation of Torke and it does not have an important role, as it did in the other movements. [14] [15]

This is the longest composition in the set, taking approximately 15 minutes to perform. It is scored for an orchestra which consists of a flute, two oboes, a clarinet in B-flat, two bassoons, three horns in F, a trumpet in B-flat, timpani, a set of strings and a synthesizer. Torke clarifies that the synthesizer's timbre is flexible, although a bass sound with a percussive edge, buzz and reinforced pitch is recommended. [16]

Reception

The different compositions have been well received by critics. The use of a post-minimalist style has been praised in virtually all the compositions. [1] [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

Michael Torke is an American composer who writes music influenced by jazz and minimalism.

Gordon Percival Septimus Jacob CBE was an English composer and teacher. He was a professor at the Royal College of Music in London from 1924 until his retirement in 1966, and published four books and many articles about music. As a composer he was prolific: the list of his works totals more than 700, mostly compositions of his own, but a substantial minority of orchestrations and arrangements of other composers' works. Those whose music he orchestrated range from William Byrd to Edward Elgar to Noël Coward.

The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra is a 1945 musical composition by Benjamin Britten with a subtitle Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell. It was based on the second movement, "Rondeau", of the Abdelazer suite. It was originally commissioned for the British educational documentary film called Instruments of the Orchestra released on 29 November 1946, directed by Muir Mathieson and featuring the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Sargent; Sargent also conducted the concert première on 15 October 1946 with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, England.

English Folk Song Suite is one of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams' most famous works. It was first published for military band as Folk Song Suite and its premiere was given at Kneller Hall on 4 July 1923, conducted by Lt Hector Adkins. The piece was then arranged for full orchestra in 1924 by Vaughan Williams' student Gordon Jacob and published as English Folk Song Suite. The piece was later arranged for British-style brass band in 1956 by Frank Wright and published as English Folk Songs Suite. All three versions were published by Boosey & Hawkes; note the use of three different titles for the three different versions.

Metropolis Symphony for Orchestra (1988–93) by American composer Michael Daugherty is a five-movement symphony inspired by Superman comics. The entire piece was created over the span of five years with separate commissions for each movement. Individual movements may be performed separately; however, it is preferred that the 41 minute symphony be performed in its entirety. MetropolisSymphony was premiered by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman conducting, in January 1994, at the Meyerhoff Concert Hall in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Harp Concerto by Alberto Ginastera was first performed in 1965. It was commissioned in the 1950s by Edna Phillips, the harpist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Philips had retired by the time the work was ready to be premiered, and the solo part was played by the Spanish harpist Nicanor Zabaleta with the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Eugene Ormandy.

Feria is an orchestral composition written by Magnus Lindberg between 1995 and 1997. It was premiered by the Finnish Radio Symphony under Jukka-Pekka Saraste on 11 August 1997 in London, in the 30th concert of the 1997 BBC Proms.

Route 66 is a single-movement composition for orchestra by the American composer Michael Daugherty. The piece was commissioned by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and premiered on April 25, 1998 at the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival in East Lansing, Michigan under conductor Yoshimi Takeda.

Time Machine for Three Conductors and Orchestra is a two-movement orchestral composition by the American composer Michael Daugherty. The piece was commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and premiered November 24, 2003, with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra led by the conductors Mariss Jansons, Lucas Richman, and Edward Cumming.

Ghost Ranch is a three-movement orchestral composition by the American composer Michael Daugherty. Inspired by the life and work of artist Georgia O'Keeffe, the title is derived from the name of O'Keeffe's New Mexico summer home, Ghost Ranch. The piece was commissioned by BBC Radio 3, completed in 2005, and premiered February 8, 2006 in Poole, United Kingdom, with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra led by conductor Marin Alsop.

Adjustable Wrench, sometimes also The Adjustable Wrench, is a composition for mixed chamber ensemble by American composer Michael Torke. It was composed in 1987.

Charivari is a composition for orchestra by HK Gruber. It is based on a polka by Johann Strauss II, Perpetuum mobile, Op. 257. Charivari was completed in 1981.

Mothership is a single-movement composition for orchestra and electronica by the American composer Mason Bates. The piece received its world premiere March 20, 2011 at the Sydney Opera House by the YouTube Symphony Orchestra under Michael Tilson Thomas, with featured improvisatorial soloists Paulo Calligopoulos on electric guitar, Ali Bello on violin, Su Chang on zheng, and John Burgess on bass guitar. The premiere was broadcast live on YouTube and garnered nearly two million viewers.

The Oboe Concerto is a composition for solo oboe and orchestra by the Scottish composer James MacMillan. The work was commissioned by the Britten Sinfonia and was first performed at the Birmingham Town Hall on 15 October 2010 by the oboist Nicholas Daniel and the Britten Sinfonia under MacMillan. The Oboe Concerto piece is dedicated to Nicholas Daniel and the Britten Sinfonia.

Trumpet Concerto (Davies)

The Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra is a composition for trumpet solo and orchestra by the British composer Peter Maxwell Davies. The work was commissioned by the Philharmonia Orchestra for its then principal trumpeter John Wallace. It was given its world premiere by Wallace and the Philharmonia Orchestra under the conductor Giuseppe Sinopoli in Hiroshima on 21 September 1988.

The Piano Concerto No. 2 is a composition for solo piano and orchestra by the Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg. The work was jointly commissioned by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic, for which Lindberg was then composer-in-residence. It was given its world premiere at Avery Fisher Hall on May 3, 2012 by the pianist Yefim Bronfman and the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Alan Gilbert.

Cantigas is an orchestral composition by the Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg. The work was commissioned by the Cleveland Orchestra and was composed between 1998 and early 1999. Its world premiere was performed in Cleveland by the Cleveland Orchestra under the direction of Christoph von Dohnányi on April 1, 1999.

The Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 28, is the first piano concerto by the Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera. The work was commissioned by the Koussevitzky Foundation and was completed in 1961. It was first performed by the pianist João Carlos Martins and the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Howard Mitchell in Washington, D.C., on April 22, 1961. The concerto was Ginastera's first composition for piano since his Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 22, written in 1952. It is dedicated to the memory of Serge and Natalie Koussevitzky.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Torke, Michael. "Ecstatic Orange for orchestra (1985)". michaeltorke.com. Michael Torke. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  2. ↑ Torke, Michael. "Torke, Michael: Ecstatic Orangefor orchestra". Boosey and Hawkes. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Lindemann Malone, Andrew. "Michael Torke Ecstatic Orange, ballet". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 Torke, Michael. "Bright Blue Music for orchestra (1985)". michaeltorke.com. Michael Torke. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  5. 1 2 Torke, Michael. "Torke, Michael: Bright Blue Music for orchestra". Boosey and Hawkes. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  6. ↑ Lindemann Malone, Andrew. "Michael Torke Bright Blue Music for orchestra". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  7. 1 2 Torke, Michael. "Green for orchestra (1986)". michaeltorke.com. Michael Torke. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  8. 1 2 Torke, Michael. "Torke, Michael: Green for orchestra". Boosey and Hawkes. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  9. ↑ Lindemann Malone, Andrew. "Michael Torke Green for orchestra". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  10. ↑ Torke, Michael. "Purple for orchestra (1987)". michaeltorke.com. Michael Torke. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  11. ↑ Lindemann Malone, Andrew. "Michael Torke Purple, ballet". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  12. ↑ Torke, Michael. "Torke, Michael: Purplefor orchestra". Boosey and Hawkes. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  13. 1 2 Torke, Michael. "Ash for orchestra or chamber orchestra (1988)". michaeltorke.com. Michael Torke. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  14. ↑ Lindemann Malone, Andrew. "Michael Torke Ash for orchestra". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  15. ↑ Simeone, Nigel (2012). Colourful Exuberance (Liner Notes in Michael Torke - Color Music 4784580). London, England: Decca Music Group Limited. p. 5.
  16. ↑ Torke, Michael. "Torke, Michael: Ashfor chamber orchestra". Boosey and Hawkes. Retrieved 12 February 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.