Corigliano Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra

“I rely on the components of particular concerts to generate my musical materials. This commission from the New York Philharmonic provided me with a unique constellation of elements that eventually formed the basis of my approach to the work. My associations as a child attending rehearsals and performances with my father, who was then the concertmaster of the Philharmonic gave me the opportunity of getting to know many of the men in the orchestra both as artists and friends. This feeling of intimacy governed my decision to make sure that my first work for the Philharmonic utilized the entire orchestra. I was aware that, with a wind concerto, this is a potentially dangerous thing to do to solve problems of balance most such pieces are discreetly scored for small ensembles but it provided me with a fascinating challenge.”

About the revised edition (2015): “In 1976, when I was writing the clarinet concerto, I used a method of cueing that I now consider unnecessarily difficult. The two outer movements now benefit from being in a notation that I have used for some years with conspicuous success. The two cadenzas in the first movement (especially the second), are much more playable now, although the notes themselves have not been altered. Also, in the third movement, some of the improvisation left to the orchestral musicians has now been notated to be conducted. All in all, I think this revision is a more elegant way of getting across the same musical ideas.”

- John Corigliano

Duration: c. 29 minutes

Instrumentation 3+pic.3+ca.2+bcl.3+cbn/6431/timp.3perc/hp.pf/st r(14.14.12.12.6 players min)