''Astral Canticle'' is a
double concerto for
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
,
flute, and
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
by the American composer
Augusta Read Thomas
Augusta Read Thomas (born April 24, 1964) is an American composer and professor.
Biography
Thomas studied composition with Oliver Knussen at Tanglewood; Jacob Druckman at Yale University; Alan Stout and Bill Karlins at Northwestern University ...
. The work was Thomas's sixth and final commission by the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenu ...
before she concluded her nine-year tenure there as
composer-in-residence
Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...
. It was first performed in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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on June 1, 2006, by the flutist
Mathieu Dufour, the violinist
Robert Chen, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the conductor
Daniel Barenboim. The piece is dedicated to Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
The composition was a finalist for the 2007
Pulitzer Prize for Music
The Pulitzer Prize for Music is one of seven Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually in Letters, Drama, and Music. It was first given in 1943. Joseph Pulitzer arranged for a music scholarship to be awarded each year, and this was eventually converted ...
.
Composition
''Astral Canticle'' has a duration of roughly 20 minutes and is composed in one continuous
movement. Thomas described elements of the work in the score program notes, writing, "The title is derived from ''Astral'' — connected with the stars; and Canticle — denoting a song or chant." She continued:
Instrumentation
The work is scored for solo
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
, solo
flute, and an orchestra comprising
piccolo, two additional flutes, three
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
s, three
clarinets, two
bassoons (doubling
contrabassoon), four
horns Horns or The Horns may refer to:
* Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells
* The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain
* ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...
, three
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
s, three
trombone
The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...
s,
tuba
The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...
, three percussionists,
harp, and
strings.
Reception
Reviewing the world premiere, John von Rhein of the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
'' called the strength of the piece "undeniable in this first performance." He wrote:
Rhein added, "There's no doubt ''Astral Canticle'' will make its way through the orchestral world."
References
{{PulitzerPrize Music Finalists 2001–2010
Compositions by Augusta Read Thomas
2005 compositions
Concertos for multiple instruments
Music commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra