''EXPO'' is an
orchestral composition by the Finnish composer
Magnus Lindberg. It was the first work commissioned by the
New York Philharmonic under the conductor
Alan Gilbert, and was Lindberg's first commission as the orchestra's
composer-in-residence. The piece was first performed on September 16, 2009 at
Avery Fisher Hall,
New York City, during Alan Gilbert's inaugural concert with the New York Philharmonic.
''EXPO'' was the first newly commissioned work to open the New York Philharmonic's concert season since the premiere of
Aaron Copland's ''
Connotations'' under
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...
on September 23, 1962.
Composition
''EXPO'' has a duration of roughly 10 minutes and is composed in a single
movement
Movement may refer to:
Common uses
* Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece
* Motion, commonly referred to as movement
Arts, entertainment, and media
Literature
* "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...
.
Instrumentation
The work is scored for a large orchestra comprising two
flutes,
piccolo
The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...
, two
oboes,
cor anglais
The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn in North America, is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe, making it essentially an alto ...
, two
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
s,
bass clarinet
The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays notes an octave bel ...
, two
bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...
s,
contrabassoon
The contrabassoon, also known as the double bassoon, is a larger version of the bassoon, sounding an octave lower. Its technique is similar to its smaller cousin, with a few notable differences.
Differences from the bassoon
The reed is consi ...
, four
horns, three
trumpets, three
trombones,
tuba,
timpani, two percussionists,
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
, and
strings
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
.
Reception
Reviewing the world premiere,
Anthony Tommasini of ''
The New York Times'' called it "an urgent, inventive 10-minute piece" and wrote, "as Mr. Lindberg, a pragmatic composer, surely realized, this occasion did not warrant a gnarly, intimidating modern piece. Not that 'EXPO' was some easygoing crowd pleaser. It is an intense, complex and elusive piece, yet somehow celebratory."
Jeff Dunn of the ''San Francisco Classical Voice'' called it "a terrific curtain raiser, 10 minutes of alternating string whooshes (reminiscent of Lindberg's Finnish countrymen
Sibelius and
Rautavaara) and brass chorales."" David Patrick Stearns of ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer'' similarly observed, "Part
fanfare
A fanfare (or fanfarade or flourish) is a short musical flourish which is typically played by trumpets, French horns or other brass instruments, often accompanied by percussion. It is a "brief improvised introduction to an instrumental perfo ...
, part
concerto for orchestra, ''Expo'' is an aerobic workout for all sections of the orchestra and
..an exhilarating showcase. Though far from Lindberg's best work, ''Expo'' is a fine curtain-raiser. And if ever you felt lost in the high-traffic orchestration, you could at least glom onto the near-quotations of
Britten's ''
Peter Grimes'' in the brass writing.
"
References
{{italic title
Compositions by Magnus Lindberg
2009 compositions
Compositions for symphony orchestra
Music commissioned by the New York Philharmonic