Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Yoel Levi, Robert Shaw; William Preucil, violin
Stephen Paulus's musical style is melodic and highly rhythmic. He tends to work in traditional forms, and his music is accessible to listeners possessing a wide range of tastes. Those seeking well-crafted contemporary music with a decidedly neo-Romantic bent will find these three orchestral works very much to their liking.
As its title implies, Concertante is chiefly concerned with contrasts between solo instruments, small groups of players, and the full orchestra. Although, as the composer notes, its form and juxtaposition of ideas are "quite freewheeling," the work falls into three clearly defined sections: a rapid opening marked to be played "quietly, with intensity," a contrasting slow section for strings alone, offering dialogue between a concertino group of eight soloists and the massed strings, and a conclusion that gathers speed while recalling earlier ideas and building to a climax, interrupted by an outburst of percussion before the close.
The Concerto for Violin and Orchestra is in three discrete movements, beginning with a brash Allegro con fuoco that is by turns assertive, frenetic, and lyrical. The middle movement's moderato central section borrows a theme from the first movement and treats it in a slower, more playful manner. The finale, Allegro di bravura, emphasizes spirited and brilliant solo work. Mined with virtuosic difficulties in the Paganinian manner, it also contains a brief central interlude in a more idyllic mood.
While Paulus had already composed several works for full orchestra, the Symphony for Strings was his first composition for strings alone. The first movement, Moderato, begins wistfully and gives an overall impression of restlessness. Next is an Allegro vivo crafted of ostinatos and repeated-note figures, with a little waltz at its heart. Misterioso is the marking of the third movement, and the music merits its performance direction, "In a haunting fashion." The concluding Presto is just the sort of cheery rondo that Haydn or Prokofiev might have given to such a work, and makes cyclic reference to the motive that opened the first movement.
Stephen Paulus: Concerto for Violin/String Symphony
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Track Listing
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Concerto for Violin and Orchestra: I. Allegro con fuoco
Stephen Paulus
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Concerto for Violin and Orchestra: II. Cantabile
Stephen Paulus
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Concerto for Violin and Orchestra: III. Allegro di bravura
Stephen Paulus
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Concertante
Stephen Paulus
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Symphony for Strings: I. Moderato
Stephen Paulus
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Symphony for Strings: II. Allegro vivo
Stephen Paulus
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Symphony for Strings: III. Misterioso
Stephen Paulus
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Symphony for Strings: IV. Presto
Stephen Paulus
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