Sinfonia Concertante (2021) for two clarinets, two bassoons, and orchestra

-Commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
-Premiered on February 18th and 19th, 2022

Program Listing

Sinfonia Concertante for Two Clarinets, Two Bassoons, and Orchestra (2021)

I. Overture
II. Bransle
III. Galliard
IV. La Follia
V. Pavane
VI. Cadenza
VII. La Volta
VIII. Finale

Program Notes

The “Sinfonia Concertante” arose in the Classical period as a multi-movement orchestral work with soloists. The name shows its true colors as a hybrid between a symphony and a concerto, with the soloists working together to make chamber music textures against the broad sonic landscape of the orchestra. Some of the first of these pieces came from Mozart and Haydn,who wrote for double, triple, and quadruple soloist groups.

My own Sinfonia Concertante borrows stylistically from the Baroque and Classical eras, but filters through a contemporary lens. I’m interested in the blurry space between musical realism and abstraction, and the language of the piece shifts increasingly between traditional, familiar sounds and a kind of “controlled disorder” as it goes. The instrumental canvas is a standardclassical orchestra with two clarinets and two bassoons as the prominent ensemble of soloists in the foreground.

Another major interest for me is my role as a storyteller (just with music instead of words!). Thenarrative arc of the Sinfonia Concertante is really a Theme and Variations, with the Theme hidden in the middle of the piece. And for that theme I chose an ancient melody called “La Follia” (“The Folly”) that’s been set by literally hundreds of composers since the late Renaissance. The Follia theme appears three times in the eponymous fourth movement, first as a distant memory, and each iteration more present after that.

The other movements of the piece emanate out from that center to offer different versions of that Follia theme, some with breaks, others running straight into the next. I’ve set the movements themselves into forms that would have been well known to composers of an earlier era—the dances of the Bransle, Galliard, Volta, and Pavane, a short cadenza for the soloists, and finally an Overture and Finale that frame the piece.

Many of my works deal with the serious themes of the environment, social justice, or personal identity. In these challenging times though, I chose for this piece to be about joy and music making; a play that is staged on many sets, with an ever-changing plot that brings the listener on a circular journey where the end is the beginning.

Sinfonia Concertante was written for clarinetists Michael Rusinek and Ron Samuels, bassoonists Nancy Goeres and Philip Pandolfi, and the Pittsburgh Symphony and Music Director Manfred Honeck. It is dedicated to the soloists, conductor, orchestra, and audience with all admiration and gratitude.

©2022 David Serkin Ludwig