Phantasmata

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Phantasmata is an orchestral triptych by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The title is derived from the works of the occultist Paracelsus, who described phantasmata as "hallucinations created by thought." [1] Rouse originally composed the second movement "The Infernal Machine" as a stand-alone piece in 1981, though he later elected to make it the second part of a larger work. Phantasmata was commissioned in full by the St. Louis Symphony and a fellowship grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and completed March 22, 1985. [1]

Contents

Composition

"The Evestrum of Juan de la Cruz in the Sagrada Familia, 3 A.M."

The first movement, "The Evestrum of Juan de la Cruz in the Sagrada Familia, 3 A.M.," is scored for only strings and percussion. The piece is dedicated to composer Joseph Schwantner. [1]

The title derives from another Paracelsus term "evestrum," which refers to the incorporeal body; thus, the title eludes to a dreamt out-of-body experience in Antoni Gaudí's Cathedral of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain. [1] [2]

"The Infernal Machine"

"The Infernal Machine" was composed for the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra and completed March on 21, 1981. It premiered May 9, 1981 at the Evian Festival in France, with Gustav Meier leading the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra. Rouse dedicated the work to his friend and fellow composer Leslie Bassett, who was also a professor at the University of Michigan. [3]

Though "The Infernal Machine" was originally intended as a stand-alone piece, Rouse later decided to make it a second movement in an orchestral triptych at the suggestion of Joseph Schwantner; thus, it was the first completed movement of Phantasmata. The piece derives its title from the eponymous play by Jean Cocteau, though the actual narrative did not influence Rouse's composition. [2] [3]

Daniel Cariaga of the Los Angeles Times called the work "a perpetual-motion construct clearly designed to warm up both players and listeners through an illusion of frenzy." [4]

"Bump"

"Bump" was completed January 22, 1985 and is dedicated to longtime St. Louis Symphony conductor Leonard Slatkin. [5]

Rouse originally conceived the piece as " La Valse meets Studio 54," but it ultimately fashioned what he called a "nightmare konga." The work blends big band brass writing and jazz syncopations with dissonant elements of atonalism. [5] Rouse has also described the piece as a "Boston Pops tour performance in Hell." [2]

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Symphony No. 1 is a symphony in one movement by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The work was commissioned by David Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, completed on August 26, 1986, and premiered in Baltimore, January 21, 1988. The piece is dedicated to Rouse's friend and fellow composer, John Harbison.

Thunderstuck is a one-movement orchestral composition by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The piece was completed December 29, 2013, and premiered October 9, 2014, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York City. The premiere was performed by conductor Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic, and the work is dedicated to both.

The Trombone Concerto is a concerto for trombone and orchestra by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The work was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for its principal trombonist Joseph Alessi. It was completed on April 5, 1991, and was first performed by Alessi and the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Slatkin on December 30, 1992, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York City. The concerto is dedicated to the composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, who died suddenly October 14, 1990. In 1993, the work was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

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Symphony No. 3 is an orchestral composition in two movements by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The work was jointly commissioned by the St. Louis Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. It was completed February 3, 2011 and premiered May 5, 2011 by the Saint Louis Symphony under David Robertson at Powell Hall in St. Louis, Missouri. The piece is dedicated to Rouse's high school music teacher, John Merrill.

Symphony No. 4 is an orchestral composition in two movements by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The work was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, for which Rouse was then composer-in-residence. The piece was completed June 30, 2013 and was premiered on June 5, 2014, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, by the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Alan Gilbert.

Rapture is an orchestral composition in one movement by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The work was commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and was completed January 9, 2000. It is dedicated to then Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra music director Mariss Jansons and premiered in May 2000.

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.

The Clarinet Concerto is a concerto for clarinet and orchestra by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The work was commissioned for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and its principal clarinetist Larry Combs by the Institute for American Music. It was completed December 11, 2000 and premiered May 17, 2001 at Symphony Center in Chicago with Christoph Eschenbach conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The piece is dedicated to Rouse's friend and fellow composer Augusta Read Thomas.

The Flute Concerto is a concerto for flute and orchestra by American composer Christopher Rouse. The work was jointly commissioned by Richard and Jody Nordlof for flautist Carol Wincenc and by Borders Group for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. It was completed August 15, 1993 and premiered on October 27, 1994 at Orchestra Hall in Detroit, with conductor Hans Vonk leading Carol Wincenc and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The piece's third movement is dedicated to the memory of James Bulger, an English toddler who was murdered in 1993 by two ten-year-old boys.

Der gerettete Alberich is a concerto for percussion and orchestra by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The work was jointly commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. It was completed June 7, 1997, and premiered January 15, 1998 in Cleveland, Ohio with the Cleveland Orchestra under conductor Christoph von Dohnányi. The piece is dedicated to percussionist Evelyn Glennie, who performed the solo during the world premiere. Rouse composed the work as an informal musical sequel to Richard Wagner's four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen.

Loose Id is a single-movement composition for brass quintet and percussion—later expanded for orchestra—by the American composer Steven Bryant. The original brass quintet version premiered November 1995 at the University of North Texas and the full orchestral version premiered at Alice Tully Hall, New York City on April 1, 1997, with conductor Jeffrey Milarsky leading the Juilliard Symphony. The piece was Bryant's first composition for orchestra.

Envoi is a single-movement orchestral composition by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The work was commissioned by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra with additional contributions from Thurmond Smithgall. It was first performed May 9, 1996 in Atlanta Symphony Hall, Atlanta by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under conductor Yoel Levi. The piece is dedicated to Rouse's mother, who died in the summer of 1993.

Gorgon is a composition for orchestra by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The work was commissioned by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra with support from the Rochester Sesquicentennial Committee to commemorated the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Rochester. It was completed in the summer of 1984 and was first performed in Rochester on November 15, 1984, by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of David Zinman, to whom the piece is dedicated.

The Organ Concerto is a composition for solo organ and orchestra by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The work was commissioned for the organist Paul Jacobs by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the National Symphony Orchestra. It was completed on June 23, 2014 and was first performed by Paul Jacobs and the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on November 17, 2016. Rouse dedicated the piece to Jacobs.

Berceuse Infinie is an orchestral composition by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The work was commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and was completed on July 1, 2016. It was first performed by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Marin Alsop at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on November 30, 2017. The piece is dedicated to Marin Alsop.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rouse, Christopher. Phantasmata: Program Note by the Composer. 1986. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Watkins, Glenn. "Christopher Rouse: An Interview with the Composer". Naxos Records . Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Rouse, Christopher. The Infernal Machine: Program Note by the Composer. 1981. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  4. ↑ Cariaga, Daniel (September 23, 1996). "L.B. Symphony Up to Challenge". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Rouse, Christopher. Bump: Program Note by the Composer. 1985. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
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