''Play'' is a symphony for

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 ...

in three movements by the American composer

Andrew Norman Andrew Norman (born October 31, 1979) is an American composer of contemporary classical music whose texturally complex music is influenced by architecture and the visual arts. His string trio '' The Companion Guide to Rome'' (2010), was a runne ...

. The work was commissioned by the

Boston Modern Orchestra Project The Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) is a professional orchestra in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1996 by artistic director Gil Rose, its mission is to explore the connections between contemporary music and contemporary s ...

, for whom Norman was then

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 on May 17, 2013 by the orchestra under the conductor Gil Rose. The revised version was premiered by the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by

Gustavo Dudamel Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez (born 26 January 1981) is a Venezuelan conductor and violinist who is the music director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Paris Opera. Early life Dudamel was ...

October 28, 2016.

Composition

''Play'' has a duration of roughly 45 minutes and is composed in three

movements 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 ...

: Norman scholar and collaborator Anne Lanzilotti writes, "Structured in three movements—or 'Levels,' as they are titled—it is an intricately planned work dealing with themes of control, free will, hidden messages, and of course, playfulness. The key elements of ''Play'' are the things that inspire me in Norman’s music: physicality, the use of form to create narrative, and an interest in the experience of live performance." The composition also utilizes various extended techniques for strings.

Reception

''Play'' has received an extremely positive critical response. Reviewing the world premiere, David Wright of the ''Boston Classical Review'' wrote, "No matter how complex and seemingly chaotic the music became, Norman's contrapuntal skill and imaginative handling of the large orchestra were evident throughout." He added, "A single hearing can hardly do a piece like ''Play'' justice, but the work's ambition and brilliant performance earned it warm and prolonged applause." Reviewing a recording of the work, the music critic Alex Ross called it "a sprawling, engulfing, furiously unpredictable piece in three symphonic movements." Tom Huizenga of

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

similarly called it "witty, playful, surprisingly transparent — aside from the bazillion little things going on — and probably thrillingly difficult to pull off." David Weininger of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' wrote: In 2017, ''Play'' won the

Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition The Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition () is an annual prize instituted by Henry Charles Grawemeyer, industrialist and entrepreneur, at the University of Louisville in 1984. The award was first given in 1985. Subsequently, the Grawemeyer Awar ...

Recording

The Boston Modern Orchestra Project launched a Kickstarter campaign on June 13, 2013 to raise $8,000 for a recording of ''Play'', in addition to Norman's orchestral work ''Try''. The campaign closed on June 30, 2013 having successfully raised $9,525. A recording of the work was subsequently released through the orchestra's label BMOP/Sound. The BMOP recording was later named one of the best classical music recordings of 2015 by David Allen of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' and was nominated for the 2016

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

References

External links

Official websiteBMOP
{{Andrew Norman Compositions by Andrew Norman 2013 compositions Contemporary classical compositions 21st-century symphonies Kickstarter-funded albums Music commissioned by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project