program note
I have often associated the word concerto with the notion of confrontation, as in the pitting of soloist against orchestra. This confrontation is not only a physical presence on stage but, more importantly, a conceptual idea permeating the very being of the concerto on all levels, from the formal to the textural.
Not so with a chamber concerto, where the sharp edges of the image are considerably softened by the fact that one cannot properly speak of either soloist or orchestra. In my Concerto da Camera I the five players—constituting the standard woodwind quintet but playing a total of ten instruments ranging from contrabassoon to piccolo—are assigned both roles at various times. Moreover, though individual instruments certainly do take their turn as leaders, the piece is not so much about solo versus ensemble; rather, it is an ever-shifting web of confrontations between types of playing, gestures, dramatic postures and textures which, to me, are associated with those two terms.
The decision to compose a work for woodwind quintet came closely following the completion of a string quartet. In contrast to my reaction to the latter, which of course is not merely an instrumental combination but also a highly significant and sophisticated genre, I must confess to being less than an avid fan of the conventional ‘woodwind quintet sound’ as we know it from a large chunk of its standard literature. Paradoxically, I have always felt a very strong affinity and attraction to the individual sound and qualities of the five instruments and their alternates. For me they each embody a variety of musical ‘souls’ or ‘characters’, waiting to be put into action. The challenge of integrating the separate parts into a satisfying whole, then, served as a stimulus to writing this composition.
—Shulamit Ran
Performance note: It is highly recommended that Concerto da Camera I be rehearsed and performed with a conductor.
information
A Consortium Commission by the National Endowment for the Arts
Awarded to Robert Ashley, Lukas Foss, Fred Lehrdal, and Shulamit Ran in collaboration with The Musical Elements in NYC and ensembles in Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco
Premiere: February 25, 1986
Cooper Union Hall, NYC
The Musical Elements
Daniel Asia, conductor
Duration: c. 13
INSTRUMENTATION
flute/alto flute/piccolo,
oboe/English horn,
clarinet/bass clarinet,
horn,
bassoon/contrabassoon
recording
Instrumental ensemble conducted by Cliff Colnot: Shulamit Ran MIRAGE, Chamber Music with Flute, ERATO 0630-12787-2
SHEET MUSIC
Published by IMI