Album insights
Joseph Schwantner has had a lifelong passion for orchestras. This inclination emerged in his first orchestral work, "Aftertones of Infinity." Over the years, his orchestration has become more sparing and focused, always expanding his sense of the unlimited sonic potential of orchestras. Schwantner’s intuitive talent in grasping and effectively utilizing the sonic landscape of a symphony orchestra is evident in the four works recorded here, spanning 16 years. Three are relatively new orchestral pieces featuring soloists whose input inspired the composition of the works recorded on this CD.
In 1979, Joseph Schwantner gained notoriety in the American contemporary music scene after winning the Pulitzer Prize in Music for "Aftertones of Infinity." His journey started when he won his first composition prize as a high school student in 1959. He went on to earn degrees from the Chicago Conservatory College and Northwestern University. Schwantner amalgamated an impressive academic career with a growing number of composition commissions, teaching at various institutions before eventually settling at Yale University.
After nearly three decades at the Eastman School of Music and a brief stint at the Juilliard School in the mid-1980s, Schwantner joined the faculty of Yale University in 2001 as a Professor of Music and became the director of the Yale concert series "New Music New Haven." However, in 2002, he left Yale for the scenic hills and forests of New Hampshire, embracing the life of a freelance composer. Despite this, Schwantner remains a highly sought-after composer.
"A Sudden Rainbow" is an early work featured on this CD and the only orchestral piece without soloists, yet it functions somewhat like a concerto for the entire orchestra with challenging parts for all instrument groups. Schwantner, like many composers of his generation, fully explored the modern extended percussion arsenal in his orchestral works. In the orchestration for "A Sudden Rainbow," electronically amplified piano and celesta are included, and both pitched and unpitched percussion instruments take prominence. Additionally, Schwantner creates distinctive motifs for the horns that recur in various forms throughout the piece.
Schwantner’s music often resonates with visual associations, showcasing his strong interest in extramusical inspirations through imaginative and evocative titles. "A Sudden Rainbow" is crafted in a single symmetrical arch form, inspired by the natural phenomenon of a rainbow, as the composer elaborates:
The analogy between evolving musical structures and a rainbow in nature fascinated me endlessly. The brilliance and prismatic beauty of a rainbow, a visually captivating phenomenon, provided a seductive inspiration throughout the compositional process. A rainbow contains the primary colors of the visible spectrum in layered bands, formed in the sky through the refraction, reflection, and dispersion of sunlight in falling rain and mist. Similarly, music often unfolds in layered bands of orchestral colors. Elements of musical continuity, contrast, development, and other organizational aspects shape through a balance of sonic and spatial forces. Strings, woodwinds, brass, along with piano, celesta, harp, and percussion instruments collectively enrich the instrumental ensemble, producing a wealth of vivid and vibrant tonal colors and textures.
"A Sudden Rainbow" was commissioned by the Meet-the-Composer series while Schwantner served as Composer-in-Residence with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. The premiere took place on February 1, 1986, conducted by Leonard Slatkin, subsequently winning the 3rd Prize at the Kennedy Center Friedheim Awards in 1986, and receiving a Grammy nomination in 1987 for "Best Classical Composition."
Known for connecting his music with powerful poetic imagery, Schwantner's works seldom carry traditional titles like Symphony, Sonata, or Quartet. Instead, impactful names such as "Distant Runes and Incantations," "Dreamcaller," and "Through Interior Worlds" populate his repertoire. This signals a composer rich in imagination, deeply engaged in language and literature, and possessing a lively sense of the picturesque, all sonically reflected in Schwantner's luminous palette and exploration of individual instruments' sonic potential.
This creative approach is evident in "Beyond Autumn: 'Poem' for horn and orchestra" (1999), premiered by Gregory Hustis and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in September 1999. The poem mentioned in the subtitle opens the score:
Beyond Autumn ...||PARAGRAPH_END||
the clouded land emerges,
into a distant tale
long forgotten. ||PARAGRAPH_START||The poet behind this is Schwantner himself. According to him, “The poem provides the poetic stimulus for music.” He noted the close relationship between poetic images and the musical ideas derived from them. Reflecting on the nature of the horn and its expressive range, Schwantner emphasizes its ability to evoke both heroism and intimacy.
Gregory Hustis believes Schwantner thoroughly explores these elements in "Beyond Autumn," encapsulating strength, mourning, and dignity. While technically demanding in terms of endurance and control, Schwantner’s piece allows significant artistic freedom, focusing more on mood and expression rather than strict adherence to musical notations. He encourages listeners to contemplate the musical themes deliberately woven into the piece, emphasizing the collaborative partnership between the orchestra, soloist, and horns strategically positioned at the forefront during performances.
"Suddenly Autumn" is structured as a single, arch-shaped rondo lasting approximately 17 minutes, featuring a chorale section at its core. This chorale is initially introduced by the flutes and strings, subsequently taken up by the low woodwinds and all horns, symbolically marking the only instance where the horn group and soloist play the same music. By employing recurrent musical elements, Schwantner crafts a direct musical narrative, further highlighted by frequent use of minor sixths, a prominent interval throughout the piece and especially in the solo horn line.
Commissioned by the International Horn Society with support from the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University, "Angelfire: 'Fantasy' for amplified violin and orchestra" (2001) represents Schwantner's third fantasy composed for specific soloists. Schwantner drew inspiration from Anne Akiko Meyers, stating, “Her captivating stage presence conceals a bold and adventurous musical temperament. Her technical mastery and creative spirit immersed me in her intense expressive world, helping shape my ideas for Angelfire.”
Like its predecessors, "Angelfire" is a single-movement rondo piece. Opening with emphatic orchestral bursts and deep solo violin statements, the music gradually evolves to unveil recurring string phrases as the backbone of its harmonic material. These clear, direct elements form the basis for the developed materials throughout the work.
Initiated as a commissioned piece, "September Canticle: 'Fantasy' for organ, brass, percussion, amplified piano, and strings" (2002) evolved into a personal tribute following the events of September 11, 2001. Schwantner's meditative response crafted for the nearly 3000 lives lost that day conveys the aftermath and contemplation surrounding the tragic event.
The work originated as a commission for the winner of the International Organ Competition in Dallas, James Diaz, with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra premiering it under the baton of Jesús López-Cobos in February 2002. Deeply influenced by the verses of Swedish poet Pär Lagerkvist, Schwantner’s composition unfolds in a single, extended movement, starting subtly and simply, gradually building a recurring harmonic theme and chromatic development that underpins the narrative of the entire composition.