![]() It is scored for string quartet and harpsichord, accompanied by string orchestra. The Concerto consists of the customary three movements played without pause – although with reversed tempi from the model Baroque concerto. The opening slow section is interrupted twice by outbursts of energy, and the middle fast section gives way to a static exploration of sound toward its culmination. Structurally, the piece has three large sections – (i) slow, (ii) fast, and (iii) slow. As in a traditional concerto grosso, they serve as both soloists and as leaders for the large ensemble. The soloists are comprised of a String Quartet and a Harpsichord. ![]() The piece can be described as a “minimalist” take on baroque music, influenced by Górecki, Pärt, and Glass, and taking their techniques to new extremes. I chose to use the opening theme of Handel’s Concerto Grosso, Opus 6, No.4 as my main motif and Vivaldi’s signature virtuosic patterns as the rhythmic driving force of the piece. He wanted a piece based on the music of Handel and Vivaldi, and I gladly accepted the challenge. In 2002, Israeli conductor Aviv Ron approached me to write a concerto for his orchestra for a series dedicated to Baroque concertos. In retrospect I guess it was the clear rhythms, the strong reliance on the bass, and the extreme contrasts that made this music appeal to me. Even as a young child, when I did not care for classical or romantic music, I found baroque very exciting and closer to the music of our day. In a short essay accompanying the Concerto Grosso, he explains his working method. He has taken his love of Baroque music and reconstituted many of its stylistic qualities into his own voice. Imitation today, however, is often considered plagiarism, and there are copyright laws to protect an artist’s “creative property.” (Incidentally, there really are cases of contemporary composers suing each other for copyright infringement.) But what about so-called neo-Classical music? That prefix “neo” indicates that a composer revisits elements of earlier styles, transforming them into something different and new.Īvner Dorman is one such composer. Copying was a sign of respect as well as a form of flattery. That being said, it was not uncommon for composers to riff on someone else’s work, even borrowing whole passage outright. (Mozart and Antonio Salieri are the most famous examples.) Their works are either forgotten or relegated to easy listening classical radio. The ones who fall by the wayside are those who are constrained by the fashion of the day. The great composers distinguish themselves from each other and their predecessors by standing on the shoulders of past masters to make something new – or at least personalized. In Western classical music, we tend to think of changes over time in style or complexity as parts of a trajectory going…where? Rather, it is part of our aesthetic of creativity in art to be different from everyone else.
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