Musica Concertata (concerto for violin and orchestra).

Abstract

<italic>Musica Concertata</italic>, a three movement concerto for violin and orchestra, was written for violinist Jameson Cooper. Although it is cast in a traditional, fast-slow-fast movement scheme, <italic>Musica Concertata </italic> abandons the Romantic dramatic design pitting the soloist against the orchestral ensemble in favor of a more cooperative dynamic. Several instruments emerge as second soloists within the work, particularly the oboe, trumpet, horn and the two saxophones, and <italic>Musica Concertata </italic> therefore bears more resemblance to the Baroque concerto grosso than to Classical or Romantic models. Though divided into three movements, the form of <italic>Musica Concertata </italic> is extremely unified, with the structural weight of the whole work falling on the second movement. It is in the second movement that all the ideas presented in the first movement, motivic, rhythmic or harmonic, find their fulfillment. The small motivic cells, and the one true melodic theme upon which the first movement is built are transformed in the second movement into longer, more lyrical melodies. The harmony, which is rather static throughout, is dominated by a pervasive E-F semitone, expands into more unexplored harmonic regions in the second movement. The dramatic climax of the entire work is reached through this increased harmonic and melodic liberty towards the end of the second movement and the coda that follows. A solo for the oboe answered by the work's legitimate soloist, the violin, leads us back to the harmonic world of the first movement. The third movement, played (as was the second movement) without pause, is a summation of all of the concerto's ideas and presents the violin soloist with an opportunity to display his abilities unhindered. The movement, and, thus, the entire concerto, ends with the same harmonies that opened the concerto. The dissonance that characterized the harmonies at the work's opening, however, is replaced with the more consonant sonorities at their essence, bringing the work to a conclusion.