John Corigliano

Started by Shrunk, January 20, 2008, 10:46:12 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Shrunk

I keep coming across mentions of this composer's name, but have yet to hear any of his music.  Any opinions from those who have?  Recommended recordings?

Guido

Just say no to John Corigliano.

seriously though, I have been consistently dissapointed by this composers output. I too would like to be directed to anything of worth within his opus...
Geologist.

The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

Mark G. Simon

His Clarinet Concerto is very highly regarded by clarinetists, and seems to be the work everybody wants to learn. It's a great solo vehicle for a young virtuoso with fast fingers. It has some exciting stuff for the orchestra too. Stanley Drucker and Richard Stoltzman have both recorded it.

Morigan

I quite like his score for the movie "The Red Violin"...

Tsaraslondon

I actually really enjoyed his opera The Ghosts of Versailles, which was once available on video, with a distinctly starry cast that included Renee Fleming, Teresa Stratas and Marilyn Horne.

I also attended the London premiere of his AIDS symphony, given by Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony. I found it a very effective and moving piece. It was once available on CD, with the same orchestra and conductor.
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

The Emperor

Quote from: Morigan on January 21, 2008, 05:45:52 AM
I quite like his score for the movie "The Red Violin"...
I like that one too.
Other than that, only have fantasia on an ostinato and its a nice piece for piano.

MDL

#6
His Symphony No.1 caused quite a stir when it first appeared, although it's been the victim of a critical backlash.  I picked up Darenboim's CSO account for peanuts a few years ago. I got to know it through Slatkin's recording, so I inevitably prefer that one. He wrote a few amazing stretches of orchestral frenzy for Ken Russell's film Altered States. I haven't heard the recent recording, but I'd suspect it probably doesn't match up to the original soundtrack.

bhodges

I can recommend this Naxos disc, with some of Corigliano's chamber music and a very accomplished string quartet by Jefferson Friedman, one of his students.  Here's a review on Fanfare.

--Bruce

paulb

#8
Quote from: Guido on January 20, 2008, 10:48:04 AM
Just say no to John Corigliano.

seriously though, I have been consistently dissapointed by this composers output. I too would like to be directed to anything of worth within his opus...

reading the 2 reviews at the arkiv site sym 2, which Corg received a  2001 pulitzer prize for, pretty much keeps me from getting to know the composers works.

But I know what the OP is getting at.
there are dozens of composers whose names float around with some frequency on CM boards, but that should  not imply its music you really ought to know.
I've tried quitea   few of these "frequently mentioned" composers, and have not come away as nearly impressed as the mentioner would lead us to believe we should be impressed about the music.

I'm listening to Hartmann syms all weekend. Now thats impressive. refer to my daring brash comments over on the Hartmann forum.
Thats the Ondine release over at arkiv. there's too many "red flags" in the comments made by both reviewers for me to take the syms with any serious consideration.

(poco) Sforzando

He's got talent, but I've found some of his work rather thin. The AIDS symphony was very impressive on the two occasions I've heard it live. I heard an all-Corigliano program some years ago where the composer was heard in discussion with Ned Rorem and several of his piano and chamber pieces were played. The best of these as I recall was an early violin sonata played by Joshua Bell. There was also the piano fantasy already mentioned (using an ostinato based on the second movement of Beethoven's 7th), and a two-piano piece where the pianos were tuned in quarter-tones. Both fun but not memorable. When the Ghosts was premiered at the Met, you couldn't get tickets, but after seeing it on Public Television I was glad I didn't try. Pretty dull, and so was the Red Violin, which I saw choreographed by Peter Martins for the NYC Ballet. Overall a good, professional composer, but not earth-shattering.
"I don't know what sforzando means, though it clearly means something."

paulb

#10
Quote from: Sforzando on January 21, 2008, 11:03:08 AM
He's got talent, but I've found some of his work rather thin. The AIDS symphony was very impressive on the two occasions I've heard it live. I heard an all-Corigliano program some years ago where the composer was heard in discussion with Ned Rorem and several of his piano and chamber pieces were played. The best of these as I recall was an early violin sonata played by Joshua Bell. There was also the piano fantasy already mentioned (using an ostinato based on the second movement of Beethoven's 7th), and a two-piano piece where the pianos were tuned in quarter-tones. Both fun but not memorable. When the Ghosts was premiered at the Met, you couldn't get tickets, but after seeing it on Public Television I was glad I didn't try. Pretty dull, and so was the Red Violin, which I saw choreographed by Peter Martins for the NYC Ballet. Overall a good, professional composer, but not earth-shattering.

Thanks for sharing a  very believable and modest review.

What gets on my nerves is when someone makes a  list of late 20th C composers like this
"well lets see in late 20th C music we have composers to consider such as Corigliano, Pettersson , Tippett, also to consider is  tom , dick, and harry"
ARRGGGGHHHHHHH >:D

so the seeker is led to believe all sorts of things, or not sure where to go next.
Oranges with oranges and lemons with lemons please.

m_gigena

Quote from: Morigan on January 21, 2008, 05:45:52 AM
I quite like his score for the movie "The Red Violin"...

He reused the material on a Chaconne for violin and orchestra and later on his Violin Concerto.

Guido

Quote from: paulb on January 21, 2008, 03:19:23 PM
What gets on my nerves is when someone makes a  list of late 20th C composers like this
"well lets see in late 20th C music we have composers to consider such as Corigliano, Pettersson , Tippett, also to consider is  tom , dick, and harry"
ARRGGGGHHHHHHH >:D

so the seeker is led to believe all sorts of things, or not sure where to go next.
Oranges with oranges and lemons with lemons please.

I'm not sure what you mean by this - What are you objecting too?
Geologist.

The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

(poco) Sforzando

Quote from: Guido on January 22, 2008, 11:13:58 AM
I'm not sure what you mean by this - What are you objecting too?

I think what he means is that such lists do not accord with the valuations he places on each of these composers.

Tippett, by the way, is in my estimation the strongest of the three composers named.
"I don't know what sforzando means, though it clearly means something."

Guido

QuoteTippett, by the way, is in my estimation the strongest of the three composers named.
I agree resolutely! It took me a long time to appreciate his music, as I saw him for some reason as writing a sort of higher class version of Rutter's music, but this bizarre belief must have been founded on just one or two pieces that I had heard (I don't remember which). I'm glad that I was wrong.
Geologist.

The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

paulb

Quote from: Sforzando on January 22, 2008, 11:37:41 AM
I think what he means is that such lists do not accord with the valuations he places on each of these composers.

Tippett, by the way, is in my estimation the strongest of the three composers named.

as a  GMG buddy once said about Tippett and I qoute Steve's exact words "yeah i tried Tippett, the most boring composer I know"
Some guy here by the name of Mark told me "defiently get Tippett", i did and concur with Steve whole-heartedly.

Guido this is what i am trying to get at.

Mark G. Simon

Tippett is a great composer. Not a very good librettist, but great composer.

paulb

Quote from: Mark G. Simon on January 22, 2008, 02:47:28 PM
Tippett is a great composer. Not a very good librettist, but great composer.

HI Mark, you are not around much, then all of a  sudden I mention your name, and here you are.
Well we all have our opinions, which make us individually unqiue, just like the composers we listen to.
Dvorak, uniquely copied Beethoven in syms 1-8 ;D

Guido

Surely we can stretch that sweeping generalisation to Dvorak's Ninth - the Scherzo is virtually a carbon copy of Beethoven's.

QuoteHI Mark, you are not around much, then all of a  sudden I mention your name, and here you are.

I think it's just that certain members of the board don't feel the need to ejaculate their thoughts about every single subject going even if the comment will be banal and pointless. Not a personal attack on you paulb but a general observation about the posters that I do and don't respect.

Aside from Carter and Boulez, which other late twentieth (and 21st) century composers do you respect? I think I've seen you rubbish Ligeti, Lutoslawski and Penderecki before. Messiaen, Schnittke, Dutilleux? I'm guessing that these also do not compose "CM"... I'm really am not being facetious here - what is your definition of classical music that allows you to decide which you accept and reject from the genre of classical music? Is it just what you do and don't like, or is it more intellectualised?
Geologist.

The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

paulb

#19
Quote from: Guido on January 22, 2008, 04:14:25 PM
Surely we can stretch that sweeping generalisation to Dvorak's Ninth - the Scherzo is virtually a carbon copy of Beethoven's.

I think it's just that certain members of the board don't feel the need to ejaculate their thoughts about every single subject going even if the comment will be banal and pointless. Not a personal attack on you paulb but a general observation about the posters that I do and don't respect.

Aside from Carter and Boulez, which other late twentieth (and 21st) century composers do you respect? I think I've seen you rubbish Ligeti, Lutoslawski and Penderecki before. Messiaen, Schnittke, Dutilleux? I'm guessing that these also do not compose "CM"... I'm really am not being facetious here - what is your definition of classical music that allows you to decide which you accept and reject from the genre of classical music? Is it just what you do and don't like, or is it more intellectualised?

Hi Guido.
I just like to share some experiences i;'ve had over the course of the past several very important developmental years , concerning branching out to new composers, to new epochs. more on that later...
Funny that you would include Dvorak's 9th, i love that opening gorgeous theme 1st movement. i really can't reacll the other movements, so if you say the scherzo also has that bonifide stamping of Beethoven's hand, I wouldn't doubt it fora   second. I had some of those great supraphon recordings of the czech/1950's of Dvorak's 5-8, and felt, "this is nothing but rehashed Beethoven".
I heard one piece from Lutoslwaski, In Memory Of Bartok, sounded too close JUST LIKE Bartok. So whats the point about Lutoslawski? i'd rather be listening to Bartok.
Messiaen. i liked for a  moment in time. then after readinga   amazon review on his St Francois
WTA's comments gave me some things i also felt , and after further reflection, found WTA to be SPOT ON.
Gave all my Messiaen away to my devouted catholic  brother-in-law. The cds went to a  good home.
Even w/o WTA's comments, Messiaen didn;'t stand a   chance to remain in my collection. Not many composers do. Messiaen might be of interest at a  live concert, not on cd.
I could go on, but no one here is really interested in my odd idoscyncracies in CM.
WTS's review
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B00000JSAO/ref=cm_cr_dp_hist_2?%5Fencoding=UTF8&filterBy=addTwoStar

Schnittke. Read my comments on his forum.  As much a  Genius in music and as in religious/mystical thoughts. read the Ivashkin book. Rozhdestvensky adds commenst at the end of one book , saying Schnittke had a  mind for music theory/discussing other composers, that was  second to none. After reading Schnittke's analysis of various composers, Rozhdestvensky was simply blown away by his superior knowledge.
His music will take me a  lifetime to explore. this is the type of late 20th C muisc i am drawn to. But not to say excludes old favorites, like Rachmaninov's 1st pc, parts of his Verspers. I like Grieg.