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Grex Classicalmusic Item 51: Corigliano [linked]
Entered by jor on Sun Jun 1 21:38:36 UTC 1997:


        There's a big write-up in today's Freep about John Corigliano.
        page 1G.

        I remember the first time I heard his Symphony Number 1.
        The radio was on as I was puttering around doing chores
        and I had to keep turning it up. Then I realized I had
        to sit down and just listen. The music was so dramatic and
        stunningly beautiful it demanded complete attention.

        It seemed modernistic but totally accessable. I had no
        idea what the piece was dedicated to. The full range
        of sonorities and textures of the orchestra that are
        being used, and the forcefulness and drama, might make one 
        think of Shostakovich or Prokofiev but this is different. 

        The Freep mentions that this piece, written in 1990,
        "has already been performed by 74 orchestras worldwide,
        an unheard of response to a contemporary work".
        This spring he won three Grammy Awards.

8 responses total.

#1 of 8 by bmoran on Fri Jun 6 13:12:39 1997:

A quick look at the District Library's holdings shows the 1st Symphony is 
1) On Loan (rats)
2) Has a subtitle refering to AIDS and sickness. 
Based on your review, I'll be waiting for it to become available. 
The library has several other works by him that might be worth looking at.

#2 of 8 by krj on Fri Jun 6 19:32:25 1997:

Mmm, there's a copy of the 1st Symphony in a clearance bin in East Lansing.

#3 of 8 by katt on Mon Jun 9 15:11:20 1997:

I've only heard it once, it's really goreous, yeah. . .

#4 of 8 by krj on Mon Jul 17 06:16:10 2000:

I'll just kick this item to mention that John Corigliano has written
a new song cycle with texts from Bob Dylan songs.  These were given
to Aspen Music School students to work on, and Leslie drew the new
setting of "Masters of War."   She sang this for Corigliano, who was
in Aspen for some workshops.
 
This cycle is as yet unpublished and unrecorded.

#5 of 8 by arabella on Mon Jul 17 07:08:02 2000:

Music 47 -> ClassicalMusic 51

#6 of 8 by arabella on Mon Jul 17 07:11:33 2000:

It was a wonderful experience to sing for Corigliano.  He's
actually in Aspen for most of the summer, as a composer-
in-residence, and I think also as a teacher.  The song
cycle with texts by Bob Dylan was written for Sylvia
McNair, who sang it in Carnegie Hall recently.  There
are 7 songs in all, and it's really quite a wonderful 
cycle.  I would like to say more, but need to sleep...
I will return to this item later.

#7 of 8 by dbratman on Fri Jul 21 23:19:15 2000:

I had a very different and much more negative reaction to Corigliano's 
First than John and Katt did, but perhaps I should listen to it again.  
It seemed to me that Corigliano was concerned to express pain and 
suffering, and did it very well.

#8 of 8 by md on Sat Jul 22 12:40:17 2000:

Pronounced CORE-ill-YONN-oh.  I slightly liked his music for Altered 
States, but haven't found his other stuff very interesting, what I've 
heard of it.  I'll have to give the symphony a listen.

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