John Harbison's Partita for Orchestra was commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestra for its centennial and was completed in December 2000.
Devotees of contemporary American music know John Harbison for his genius in combining sonorities, themes, and rhythms into new and engaging structures that express clear emotions and purposes. This artistic straightforwardness, however, doesn't mean that he dislikes playing games. The Italian word "Partita" means game, although the term was adopted centuries ago, at first to mean a set of variations on (or games with) a theme, then a suite of dance-inspired movements, then later (around Haydn's time) a set of short pieces for wind ensemble. In his Partita for Orchestra, Harbison combines the game meaning with the dance-suite meaning, titling and informing the work's four movements with elements that recall the Baroque era. He also considers the work a concerto for orchestra, spotlighting the virtuosity of each symphonic section as the piece unfolds. The titles of the four movements give clues to the melodic and rhythmic progressions, and to the piece's highly-contrasted moods.
The first movement is titled Prelude-Fantasia. In the 17th and 18th centuries, a prelude was a free-form introduction to a more structured piece, such as a fugue, which has lots of rules for its unfolding. But a prelude can also be a stately introduction, and this one starts with brass flourishes that certainly get our attention. The fantasia element comes in with the emergence of isolated, evanescent motives scattered throughout the ensemble: here a wind sound, there some spotlighted strings, etc. This leads to a lyrical, wandering, improvisatory passage for the full string section, eventually counterpointed by a trumpet solo. The isolated motives return, leading to a full orchestra climax that winds down to a subdued ending.
The brief second movement, Rondo-Capriccio, is playful: truly capricious in the introduction and re-introduction of its scurrying rondo theme, which is punctuated by slower passages that suddenly leap up again into frenzy, with much decoration from the percussion section. With the next movement, the mood changes completely. Harbison writes that the Aria-Sarabande movement "seems to be about the difficulty of singing." The string sound in this slow movement is lyrical but hesitant; the high strings' song is contrasted, echoed, and even challenged by progressions in the low strings with bassoons and horns complementing. The sound gradually intensifies and enriches as the aria becomes more confident and assertive. The mood is slightly elegiac, recalling the original solemnity of the ancient Sarabande. Toward the end of the movement, the brass section makes a statement that's brilliant but feels intrusive, seeming to intimidate the string song as it retreats to a hesitant conclusion.
The Partita's denoument is anything but hesitant, however: Harbison seems to be saying, "Well, if you can't sing you can dance." The Courante-Gigue finale is a high-stepping dance that combines lively rhythmic patterns derived from the styles of the 17th-century French courante and gigue (or jig in English). Syncopated progressions in the brass and wind sections are punctuated by prominent percussion. These are then joined by rapid string figurations. The pace slows briefly, and the orchestral tone becomes more declamatory, but the dance element is never really absent, as Harbison's engaging musical game builds to an upbeat conclusion.
To purchase the CD or download this performance, click here.
Cedille Records is the recording label of The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation, a publicly-supported, not-for-profit, organization devoted to promoting the finest musicians, ensembles, and composers in the Chicago area by producing and releasing their efforts on audiophile-quality recordings. The recordings and their promotion are designed to stimulate interest in these performers and composers and bring their artistry to a wider audience. Cedille Records is also dedicated to promoting interest in neglected areas of the classical repertory by presenting masterpieces that have been overlooked by other recording companies.
Classical Music | Orchestral Music
John Harbison
Partita for Orchestra Play
Recorded on 03/23/2009, uploaded on 03/23/2009
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
John Harbison's Partita for Orchestra was commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestra for its centennial and was completed in December 2000.
Devotees of contemporary American music know John Harbison for his genius in combining sonorities, themes, and rhythms into new and engaging structures that express clear emotions and purposes. This artistic straightforwardness, however, doesn't mean that he dislikes playing games. The Italian word "Partita" means game, although the term was adopted centuries ago, at first to mean a set of variations on (or games with) a theme, then a suite of dance-inspired movements, then later (around Haydn's time) a set of short pieces for wind ensemble. In his Partita for Orchestra, Harbison combines the game meaning with the dance-suite meaning, titling and informing the work's four movements with elements that recall the Baroque era. He also considers the work a concerto for orchestra, spotlighting the virtuosity of each symphonic section as the piece unfolds. The titles of the four movements give clues to the melodic and rhythmic progressions, and to the piece's highly-contrasted moods.
The first movement is titled Prelude-Fantasia. In the 17th and 18th centuries, a prelude was a free-form introduction to a more structured piece, such as a fugue, which has lots of rules for its unfolding. But a prelude can also be a stately introduction, and this one starts with brass flourishes that certainly get our attention. The fantasia element comes in with the emergence of isolated, evanescent motives scattered throughout the ensemble: here a wind sound, there some spotlighted strings, etc. This leads to a lyrical, wandering, improvisatory passage for the full string section, eventually counterpointed by a trumpet solo. The isolated motives return, leading to a full orchestra climax that winds down to a subdued ending.
The brief second movement, Rondo-Capriccio, is playful: truly capricious in the introduction and re-introduction of its scurrying rondo theme, which is punctuated by slower passages that suddenly leap up again into frenzy, with much decoration from the percussion section. With the next movement, the mood changes completely. Harbison writes that the Aria-Sarabande movement "seems to be about the difficulty of singing." The string sound in this slow movement is lyrical but hesitant; the high strings' song is contrasted, echoed, and even challenged by progressions in the low strings with bassoons and horns complementing. The sound gradually intensifies and enriches as the aria becomes more confident and assertive. The mood is slightly elegiac, recalling the original solemnity of the ancient Sarabande. Toward the end of the movement, the brass section makes a statement that's brilliant but feels intrusive, seeming to intimidate the string song as it retreats to a hesitant conclusion.
The Partita's denoument is anything but hesitant, however: Harbison seems to be saying, "Well, if you can't sing you can dance." The Courante-Gigue finale is a high-stepping dance that combines lively rhythmic patterns derived from the styles of the 17th-century French courante and gigue (or jig in English). Syncopated progressions in the brass and wind sections are punctuated by prominent percussion. These are then joined by rapid string figurations. The pace slows briefly, and the orchestral tone becomes more declamatory, but the dance element is never really absent, as Harbison's engaging musical game builds to an upbeat conclusion.
More music by John Harbison
Your Name, from Simple Daylight
It’s True, I Went to the Market, from Mirabai Songs
Somewhere a Seed, from Simple Daylight
The Wild Irises, from Simple Daylight
Odor, from Simple Daylight
Where Did You Go?, from Mirabai Songs
The Clouds, from Mirabai Songs
Performances by same musician(s)
Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 11 "In the Hungarian Style"
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 (Joachim cadenza)
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 (Barton Pine cadenza)
Too Hot Toccata
Symphony in Waves
Symphony No. 2, Op. 24
Newly Drawn Sky
Classical Music for the Internet Era™
To purchase the CD or download this performance, click here.
Cedille Records is the recording label of The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation, a publicly-supported, not-for-profit, organization devoted to promoting the finest musicians, ensembles, and composers in the Chicago area by producing and releasing their efforts on audiophile-quality recordings. The recordings and their promotion are designed to stimulate interest in these performers and composers and bring their artistry to a wider audience. Cedille Records is also dedicated to promoting interest in neglected areas of the classical repertory by presenting masterpieces that have been overlooked by other recording companies.