Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra is a highly virtuosic work in three movements, Andante - Allegro, Molto Lento, and Allegro Leggiero, all of which are played without pause and together last ca. twenty-four minutes. The orchestra consists of two flutes (the second flute doubling on alto flute and piccolo), two oboes, two B('b) clarinets, B('b) bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four F horns, two C trumpets, two trombones, tuba, three percussionists (who play two bongos, snare and tenor drums, two tom-toms, two bass drums, two marimbas, xylophone, vibraphone, crotales, three suspended cymbals, two tam-tams, and sleigh bells), timpani, piano (who also plays celesta), harp, solo violoncello, and full strings. / The Concerto is a romantic work concerned with pitting the solo against the tutti and with allowing the solo violoncello to sing in broad melodies. The themes each contain all twelve chromatic pitches (with little or no repetition), but this is done for a sense of chromatic completeness rather than as part of any established twelve-tone technique. Each movement is organized around a central pitch (A,D, and G, respectively) which begins main thematic material and is further stressed through repetition. Harmony is otherwise a local event. / The first movement is conceived as a mono-thematic sonata form with a slow introduction. The energetic theme is first presented in the solo violoncello and then by the tutti. A cadenza leads to the development section, from which the solo violoncello is largely absent. The recapitulation begins with the solo violoncello stating the theme in a different setting. A tutti statement follows and leads to a coda, which is both a second development section and a transition to the second movement. / A long, quiet introduction begins the second movement in order to disperse the high degree of tension generated by the first movement, a full statement of the theme not occuring until over two minutes into the movement. Although this theme climaxes with forte strings and winds, the majority of this movement consists of various "chamber music" combinations. A coda follows the second theme and briefly recalls the first theme before making a transition to the final movement. / The third movement is light and quick and in the form of the variation rondo, i.e. a variation of the refrain is used for the second and third refrains rather than a repetition. A development section follows the first statement of the refrain. The first and third episodes present a broad, cantabile theme. The solo, however, only plays this theme in the third episode. The central second episode is scored largely for percussion, first with the solo violoncello and then with bassoons and trombones. A sudden outburst from the clarinet interrupts this section and leads to the third refrain. The material for the clarinet solo is derived from the theme from the first movement. This reoccurs at the end of the third episode in the solo violoncello and is extended into a short cadenza. The tutti follows with the final refrain and a codetta, in which it is joined by the solo violoncello to end the work. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-01, Section: A, page: 0016. / Thesis (D.Mus.)--The Florida State University, 1979.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74034 |
| Contributors | THOMPSON, WADDY, IX., The Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 97 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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