Christopher
For Glen Rosenbaum
Commissioned by Meet the Composer for The Houston Symphony Robert Spano, conducting
INSTRUMENTATION
3 Flutes (3rd doubling Piccolo)
3 Oboe
3 Clarinets in Bb (2nd doubling Eb Clarinet; 3rd doubling Bass Clarinet)
3 Bassoons (3rd doubling Contrabassoon)
4 Horns in F
3 Trumpets in C
2 Trombones
Bass Trombone Tuba
Timpani
Percussion (3 players):
1. suspended cymbal, chimes, large gong, claves
2. suspended cymbal, triangle, congas, chinese cymbal, crash cymbals
3. vibraphone, bass drum, bells
Harp Piano
Strings
duration: ca. 13 minutes
SCORE IN C
NOTE:
In my experience, the performance of this work often benefits from a more literal reading of the tempi. Many conductors have been tempted to “over-Romanticize” the slower tempi, which for me has the effect of hurting the structural flow. A good representative performance may be found on the Atlanta Symphony/Robert Spano recording on the TELARC label.
—CT
(* optional cheering, shouting from the strings, percussion, piano & harp, lasting for one measure, or as indicated; a kind of amplification of the gong strikes)