On Thursday evening, March 26, the New York Philharmonic will debut Marc Neikrug’s Concerto for Orchestra, which was commissioned for the NYPhil last year:
When Alan Gilbert was at Vail with the Philharmonic a couple of summers ago, and Marc Neikrug was Composer in Residence at the Vail Music Festival, they began to discuss the possibility of a commission. The composer thought possibly a wind concerto, but Alan Gilbert said that’s not what he had in mind; he wanted something “with more flash”…something a little more “sparkly.” Neikrug suggested that a concerto for orchestra might fill the bill. Traditional concertos for orchestra (by Bartók, Lutoslawski, for example) tend to highlight sections of the orchestra as virtuoso entities, but rarely pick out individual instruments or players, the way a solo concerto would. By contrast, the present work will build the concerto from multiple layers to show off the Philharmonic: the brilliance of the entire orchestra playing together; sections of the orchestra (e.g., strings, winds, percussion); smaller groups of musicians (a trio of strings, for example); as well as individual players.
You can be there. All you have to do to have a chance to win a pair of tickets is leave a comment below naming a Concerto for Orchestra that is not by Neikrug or Bartok. On Wednesday, I will put all the entries in an empty mayonaise jar from Funk & Wagnall’s porch and pick the winners. I have two pairs.
Robin Holloway — 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Concerto for Orchestra — each one fabulous.
Aleksandra Pakhmutova: Kontsert dlia orkestra
Boris Aleksandrovich Arapov: Kontsert dlia orkestra
Andreǐ IAkovlevich Ėshpaǐ: Kontsert dlia orkestra
Sh Chalaev: Kontsert dlia orkestra
Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin – 4 concertos for orchestra
Ė Tamberg: Kont︠s︡ert dli︠a︡ orkestra = concerto grosso
Ėduard Nikolaevich Patlaenko: Kontsert dlia orkestra
Giia Aleksandrovich Kancheli: Kontsert dlia orkestra
Mikhail Leontʹevich Starokadomskiĭ: Kontsert dlia orkestra
V. Artemov: Kontsert dlia orkestra
Anton Garcia Abril: Celibidachiana : concierto para orquesta
Roberto Sierra: Concierto para orquesta
Enrique Llacer Regoli: Welleriana : concierto para orquesta, op. 25 : Madrid, marzo de 1993
Antonio Estévez Aponte: Concierto para orquesta
Agustín Charles: Concierto para orquesta
Miguel Ángel Martín Lladó: Concierto para orquesta
Jose María Castro: Concierto para orquesta
Juan J. Colomer: Convergencias – concierto para orquesta
Juan Carlos Zorzi: Concierto para orquesta no. 1
Francisco Nuñez Montes: Concierto para orquesta
david, steve and jay already said Carter:)
(That score was a nightmare for me for some years.)
Oh, no! I’m sorry, I didn’t even see the message until now. I’m sorry. Thanks though
Roberto Gerhard (great piece)
Elliott Carter (not so much-the first chord in the strings is nice, however)
“the present work will build the concerto from multiple layers to show off the Philharmonic”
Does anyone have any opinion on whether or not Birtwistle’s Earth Dances is a concerto in all but name, too? (Or, alternatively, is Theseus Game a double concerto?)
Then there’s Grazyna Bacewicz’s marvelously succinct Concert for Orchestra, and also Steve Reich’s “Four Sections”, which is a concerto in all but name. (Recusing from tickets as well.)
Hey, Reinado. I couldn’t find your e-mail address but there will be a pair of tickets in your name at the box office on Thursday night.
Like it or not, Elliott Carter has one!
Please don’t include me in the drawing, though, I can’t be at the concert.
Steven Stucky has 2 of them
Roger Sessions also has a Concerto for Orchestra
There are two that come to mind: Hindemith and Kodaly, which is actually based on the Hindemith.
Goffredo Petrassi composed several Concert for Orchestra between 1933 and 1972.
Er, Lutoslawski…
Steven Stucky!
Jerry,
Would you accept Poul Ruders’ “Concerto in Pieces”? I believe he calls it a concerto for orchestra
also, I can’t be there, just wanted to add to the confusion!
Hindemith
Higdon
Like Steve, I can’t make the gig, so we’ll have to come up with a solution.
I can’t make the gig, so if I win, I want you (Jerry) to donate the tickets as you see fit.
Carter