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History
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Premiered on November 17, 1996 in Kilbourn Hall, Eastman School of Music with David Phillips, conductor, and Lawrence Power, viola. The work was written for and dedicated to Lawrence Power. The version for two pianos was premiered in July 1997 at La Schola Cantorum in Paris, France with Lawrence Power, viola, and Alexis Bacon and John Kaefer, pianos.
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Program Note
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Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra opens with a brief cadenza. The exposition, Largo - Misterioso, begins with a eerie fugato that emerges in the strings and eventually encompasses the entire orchestra. This is brought to an abrupt halt when the solo viola enters with a transitional cadenza. After this second cadenza, the solo viola and strings unite for the first time. The strings, doubled by the clarinet, bassoon and harp, remain static and quiet as the soloist slowly becomes more frantic and hurried. This section culminates with a flute and viola duet which acts as transition to the Molto Allegro.
In the Molto Allegro, every rhythmic and harmonic motive is developed and exploited to its fullest extent. The orchestration is separted and disjunct - the strings act as the ground, the foundation on which the piece is built. The winds are more vulnerable; they rarely hold any real accompanimental figures or gestures. Throughout the movement, the soloist communicates back and forth with the these two groups, as if it is mediating an argument between dueling, angry mobs.
Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra was written from September 1995 to April 1996 and was premiered by Lawrence Power in November 1996 at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. Concerto for Viola and Two Pianos, a transcription of Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra, was composed in January 1997. It was premiered by Lawrence Power at La Schola Cantorum in Paris, France in July 1997. Both works are approximately 14 minutes in duration.
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