Concerto for Piano & Wind Orchestra (1981)
Commissioned by the Michigan State University Wind Symphony, the concerto was given its premiere by pianist Deborah Moriaty and the Michigan State University Wind Symphony, Stanley DeRusha, conductor, on February 13, 1983 in the Great Hall of the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts. A week later the concerto was performed at the University of Wisconsin in Madison with Gene Young conducting and Ellen Burmeister playing the piano.
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Performance material available through the composer
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Scored for Piccolo, Flutes 1, 2, 3; Oboes 1, 2, English Horn; Soprano Clarinet (Eb), Clarinets 1, 2, 3 (Bb), Bass Clarinet (Bb); Bassoons 1, 2; Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone Saxophones; Trumpets 1, 2, 3 (Bb); Horns 1, 2, 3, 4 (F); Trombones 1, 2, Bass Trombone; Tuba; Piano Solo; Percussion 1, 2. One player per part.
Duration: 27 minutes
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Program notes
Undertaking the composition of a piano concerto was for me a double-edged endeavor; on the one hand, the very thought of the limitless possibilities available in writing for piano was bewildering; on the other, with so much great music having been composed for this instrument over the past 250 years, to conjure up fresh ideas posed an even more formidable challenge. After several false starts, I finally settled upon the material that would lend itself to development. Each movement underwent frequent revision – first through expansion, then through trimming the fatand so forth – to the point that the compositional process itself was leading me to ideas often remote from my original raw conceptions.
The first movement is the most conventional in form. Its slow introduction conceals embryonic ideas which unfold in a broad five-part rondo scheme. The principal theme of the rondo is actually a theme group consisting of three clearly discernible gestures. By virtue of their contrasting linear and textural fabric, the episodes provide striking punctuations in the structure. In the coda, metrical modulations press the principal theme material at an ever-accelerating pulse toward a dramatic conclusion.
The second movement with its diversity of moods, textures, and rhythms, is probably best described as a fantasia. In order to achieve fully the haunting effects of the opening section material, the sostenuto (middle) pedal of the piano must be in proper working condition.
In the finale, contrasting ideas are juxtaposed in a cubist fashion. The music is alternately lean, full and sumptuous, brittle, or toccata-like. A common rhythmic and contrapuntal energy pervades the whole.
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