Concerto

Description

Trumpet in C, Flute, Piccolo, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet in Bb, Contrabass, Piano — Concerto for Trumpet and 5 Players (flute/piccolo, bass clarinet/clarinet, percussion [marimba, vibraphone, crotales], double bass, and piano) was a National Endowment for the Arts “Consortium” commission for Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, “Collage” in Boston, and “Sonor” in San Diego.It was completed in December, 1984, and was first performed by the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, David Stock, conductor, Wesley Ward, trumpet soloist, on May 6, 1985.The work is in 3 movements of contrasting speed and character: Marziale, Lento con moto, and Allegro energico.xa0 The last movement features a cadenza for the trumpet.Although there is significant interaction between the soloist and ensemble, my Chamber Concerto is above all a virtuoso trumpet piece.xa0 The trumpet is an instrument I played in high school and college, and I loved its versatility as well as its essentially brilliant character.xa0 For thisxa0reason, I wanted to explore a variety of moods and colors, using the distinct nature of the instrument to shape the work.