Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra
Lee Actor
About this work:
Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra was commissioned by the Palo Alto Philharmonic, and was written in May/June 2005. It is dedicated to timpani soloist Stuart Chafetz.
Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra consists of a single movement divided into three distinct parts, with the two fast outer sections framing a slower middle section. The overall character of the piece is described by its initial tempo marking, “Playful and jazzy”. Though much of this work is in a light and humorous vein, my main aesthetic goals of clarity of expression and bold, dramatic style are still paramount. The harmonic scheme is tonally derived, though much of the main melodic and accompanying material (including a recurring walking bass line) is based on various octatonic scales. The resulting clashes between melodic material and the underlying triadic harmonies are exploited to produce what are effectively heard in context as “blue” notes, another allusion to jazz within the general symphonic style.
The short main motif at the beginning of the piece starts undergoing a process of development immediately following its initial statement. Rapid exchanges and surprising juxtapositions between the soloist and orchestra, along with new material and further transformations that appear and recede quickly, produce a kaleidoscopic effect. The slower middle section has a very different character, at first somewhat misterioso, using fragments of transitional material from the first section and glissandi in the solo timpani, before settling into a lyrical recasting of the original motif in 7/8 time. This “groove” builds to a climax and transitions to the final section, which roughly recapitulates the material of the first section, but in reverse order. An extended cadenza for solo timpani follows, during the course of which the four drums are gradually retuned so that at last the soloist gets to state, emphatically, the original melodic motif. The orchestra soon reenters for a final statement of the theme, and the piece is quickly brought to a close.
Year composed: 2005
Duration: 00:11:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Orchestra with Soloist(s)
Instrumentation: 1 Piccolo, 2 Flute, 2 Oboe, 2 Clarinet, 2 Bassoon, 4 Horn in F, 2 Trumpet, 3 Trombone, 1 Tuba, ,1 Timpani soloist(s), 2 Percussion (General), 1 Strings (General)