Symphony No. 5 (Zwilich)

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The Symphony No. 5 or Concerto for Orchestra is a composition for orchestra by the American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. The work was commissioned by the Juilliard School in honor of Bruce Kovner and Suzie Kovner with support of the Trust of Francis Goelet. It was first performed by the Juilliard Orchestra conducted by James Conlon at Carnegie Hall on October 27, 2008. [1] [2]

Contents

Composition

The symphony functions both as a traditional symphony and as a concerto for orchestra. Zwilich described her approach in the score program notes, remarking, "The entire work treats the orchestra like a huge chamber ensemble, in which each player or section can be a brilliant soloist one moment and a sensitive partner the next." [1]

Structure

The symphony has a performance duration of approximately 24 minutes and is cast in four movements:

  1. Prologue
  2. Celebration
  3. Memorial
  4. Epilogue

The first movement "Prologue" introduces several themes used throughout the remainder of the symphony. The second movement "Celebration," the composer notes, was written "in celebration of the vibrant energy" of the Juilliard Symphony. The third movement "Memorial" was written "in remembrance of composers whose voices were silenced by tyranny." [1]

Instrumentation

The work is scored for a large orchestra comprising piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, trombone, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, four percussionists, and strings. [1]

Reception

Reviewing the world premiere, Steve Smith of The New York Times wrote, "the symphony demonstrated Ms. Zwilich’s flair for orchestration. Focus restlessly shifted among sections, and from massed groups to isolated soloists. Unorthodox percussion instruments (like the spiral cymbal, a dangling, serpentine coil that offers a distant roar) and techniques (timpani played with a model of wire brush known as dreadlocks) showed that Ms. Zwilich keeps up with recent trends." He added, "Determining whether Ms. Zwilich’s Fifth Symphony is among her strongest creations would require more than a single hearing. But the qualities that have long made her music personal and compelling were certainly present, and the Juilliard musicians took up the piece with diligence and vitality." [3]

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Symbolon is a composition for orchestra written by the American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. The piece was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for their 1988 tour of the Soviet Union and was completed on January 8, 1988. It is dedicated to Zubin Mehta, who conducted the work's premiere by the New York Philharmonic in Leningrad on June 1, 1988. It was the first piece of American orchestral music to be premiered in the Soviet Union.

Millennium Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra is a piano concerto written by the American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. The work was commissioned by the pianist Jeffrey Biegel in association with the Adele Marcus Foundation, the Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Foundation, the South Florida Council of the Chopin Foundation of the United States, Isa and Marvin Leibowitz, the American Music Center, and a consortium of 27 American orchestras. It was first performed by Jeffrey Biegel and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jesús López Cobos in Cincinnati on September 22, 2000.

Peanuts Gallery is a piano concerto by the American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, inspired by the characters of the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz, who was a friend of Zwilich. It was commissioned for the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra by the Carnegie Hall Corporation, and first performed by the pianist Albert Kim and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall on March 22, 1997.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Zwilich, Ellen Taaffe (2009). "Symphony No. 5". Theodore Presser Company . Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  2. ↑ Johnson, Lawrence A. (May 5, 2009). "At 70 (no, really), Ellen Taaffe Zwilich remains as energetic and youthful as her music". Chicago Classical Review. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  3. ↑ Smith, Steve (October 28, 2008). "Pairing Mahler and Zwilich and Their Fifth Symphonies". The New York Times . Retrieved July 24, 2020.
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