Concertos for voice and orchestra?

[Grazioso]

There are many modern works where the soprano voice is used in an instrumental way. IOW not singing actual words, but 'playing' as a soloist might .

Cf. the finale of RVW's Pastoral symphony.

[Maciek]

Well, since so many replies are going in a different direction, I'd just like to point out that the intention of my question was not to solicit a list of works involving solo voice with orchestra, no matter how difficult they are 0:) - I am well aware of the fact that there are quite a lot of them. What I'm looking for are pieces the composer himself calls "concerto" - I'm interested in the genre "concerto for voice and orchestra". I assume that a composer who calls his piece something along those lines has a completely different intention to a composer who calls his piece a song cycle or a symphony (and note that the Kassern piece has a text!). Of course, some variation is possible: a concerto for voice and tape, or a triple concerto for voice, violin, piano and orchestra. Etc. Etc.

(This does not imply I do not appreciate the replies which point me in other directions - those are all interesting pieces, and I'll try to check out the ones I don't know, thanks. I just wanted to stress that I meant something else.)

[Maciek]

Sorry, I scrolled up a bit and noticed this only now: when the heck did Peter leave the forum? And why?

[bhodges]

Sorry, I scrolled up a bit and noticed this only now: when the heck did Peter leave the forum? And why?

He left rather suddenly, around 21 January IIRC, but I have no clue why.  I was sorry, too, since he seemed to be very pleasant and knowledgeable. 

--Bruce

[Maciek]

I e-mailed him and he said it'll probably be temporary. So we can relax...

[Lilas Pastia]

I e-mailed him and he said it'll probably be temporary. So we can relax...

Good ! I like his posts. Come back, Little Sheba !

[jochanaan]

...I assume that a composer who calls his piece something along those lines has a completely different intention to a composer who calls his piece a song cycle or a symphony (and note that the Kassern piece has a text!)...

That's not strictly accurate.  Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole, Franck's Symphonic Variations, and Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini among others are all concertos in everything but name, while Das Lied von der Erde comes very close to being another Mahler symphony.  (GM himself said half-seriously when he was composing the Ninth that it was really his Tenth.)  Titles in music often mean little.

I think I have heard the Glière, and agree with the previous opinions.  Too bad; it might be interesting to hear such a concerto if it had real quality.

[Maciek]

Well, I was talking about intentions so it's a difficult discussion... But I would still argue that a set of variations, however robust, is not the same as a concerto. Similarly, a symphony with a concertante part (apart from Lalo, Szymanowski's 4th also comes to mind - definitely not a PC, even if it may seem so at first brush). The Mahler cycle is probably one I would have least reservations about. And yet, it is one odd symphony.

[Sergeant Rock]

Havergal Brian's Symphony #5 "Wine of Summer" is for baritone and orchestra.

Sarge