Schramm - La Balena
World Prémiere, commissioned by LCO
Every summer Humpback Whales, Right Whales and Minkes come to Stellwagen Bank off Cape Cod to feed after giving birth in the Caribbean. Many pairs of mothers and calves can be sighted cavorting in the sea. They feed by blowing out bubbles which bring plankton to the surface. They dive wonderfully with a signature tail flip. Sometimes they will come right up to the boat and look you in the eye. These amazing creatures inspired this orchestral work. Low sounds of celli, horns and trombones evoke these beautiful giants as do orchestral tuttis. Higher winds and strings evoke the myriad light patterns that appear on the surface. Ocean waves and swells are represented. Sea breezes, gulls and other creatures come into play in this work that is truly an ode to nature. Right Whales are endangered - only a few hundred exist - so this piece seeks to bring awareness of their plight.
Betsy Schramm’s music has been cited for its “visionary quality”,“impressive lyricism” and has been called “expansive, daring, and unpredictable” (Boston Globe, Buffalo News, Boston Herald). Schramm’s compositions have received numerous professional awards and have been played and broadcast in the U.S. and Europe, in London, New York City, and Boston. The music of Betsy Schramm has been commissioned/premiered by Jane Manning and Jane’s Minstrels, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Ballet, New Millennium Ensemble, and BostonMusic Viva, Lontano, Terry Everson, Hardwick Chamber Ensemble, the Eastman Wind Ensemble, Cambridge Chamber Players and many others. (continue reading)
Mozart - Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216 “Straßburg”
Brodack - Chandelier Reflections
Winner of the 2023 LCO Call-for-Scores
Chandelier Reflections is the first piece I wrote during my doctoral studies at Eastman. It was largely inspired by the striking blue and gold glass sculpture hanging inside Wolk Atrium under a skylight at the Eastman School of Music. Designed by Dale Chihuly, this work evokes a sense of wonder and otherness, and when the right light shines through the already amorphous and colorful structure, it transforms into something that defies rigidity and categorization. The ever-changing lights that the sculpture can produce lend themselves so well to the variety of shifting colors and expressions that are available to this instrumentation that I felt obligated to connect music to the beauty of light and glass.
Cory Brodack is a composer whose music is “at times ethereal, with masterful weaving of timbre and tone; and at times energetic, almost brutal, with unrelenting drive,” (Donovan Seidle, Calgary Philharmonic). His music ranges from deeply personal and reflective to explosively bombastic, often within the same piece. He has been awarded the ASCAP Foundation Rudolf Nissim Prize, East Carolina University's Orchestra Composition Competition, and first prize in the National Federation of Music Clubs Young Composer Competition, among other honors. With a passion for collaboration, Cory has worked with performers and ensembles including JACK Quartet, Hub New Music, Unheard-of//Ensemble, icarus Quartet, Hypercube, and Rhythm Method String Quartet. (continue reading)
Korngold - Suite from “Viel Lärmen um nichts,” Op. 11
Based on his incidental music for a production of William Shakespeare's play of the same name, Erich Korngold’s suite consists of several movements, each representing different characters and scenes from the play. The music is vibrant, lively, and filled with romantic melodies, reflecting the playful and comedic nature of the story. Korngold's use of lush orchestration and colorful harmonies has earned the suite a place in the concert repertoire, showcasing the composer's talent for creating music that is both emotive and engaging.