Concerto (In the Form of Variations) for Viola and Orchestra
Premiered by violist Paul Neubauer at Carnegie Hall, this dramatic, single-movement concerto was described by Andrew Porter in The New Yorker as: “…a poetic, beautiful, and intelligent exploration of a long, eloquent melody, through variations that are at first musing and gentle, then passionate, finally simple, confident, and serene. The work is a dramatic scena for the soloist; the orchestra provides at once a setting and a cast of conversants and commentators.”
Description
This concerto offers a window into two very important moments in my life. The heavy moment is I was processing my father’s suicide a little over two decades before as I composed the piece. On a happier note, this is how I met my wife, Jenny BIlfield. After her panel of judges picked my concerto, and after conductor Jorge Mester selected it for Carnegie Hall, Jenny and I became friends. You could say it was my “viola in my life” moment (Hat tip to Morton Feldman). Premiered by violist Paul Neubauer at Carnegie Hall, this dramatic, single-movement concerto is a theme and four variations, and was described by Andrew Porter in The New Yorker as “…a poetic, beautiful, and intelligent exploration of a long, eloquent melody, through variations that are at first musing and gentle, then passionate, finally simple, confident, and serene. The work is a dramatic scena for the soloist; the orchestra provides at once a setting and a cast of conversants and commentators.” For my work I received the 1988 ASCAP Young Composers’ Competition Award (now The ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award) and was one of the winners of the 1989 New Music Orchestral Project competition (sponsored by the National Orchestral Association). For more info about this work click here.
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