Circus Maximus (Symphony No. 3 for Large Wind Ensemble) — Corigliano's groundbreaking first work for concert band — premiered in 2005 with Junkin and the University of Texas at Austin Wind Ensemble. Corigliano composed his band opus as a dramatic and engulfing experience, a "wild ride...people standing to cheer" (musicweb.uk.net). "I searched for its shape," he explains, "with the desire to create a 'spatial' piece in which the performers would surround the audience." The work takes its name from the famed ancient Roman arena and the spectacles offered to crowds with appetites for larger-than-life amusement. "Entertainment dominates our reality and the parallels between the decadence of the coliseums and our present time are obvious."
ISBN 1574630482Timothy Salzman's A Composer's Insight: Thoughts, Analysis and Commentary on Contemporary Masterpieces for Wind Band (Volume III, Meredith Music Publications) contains a chapter on Circus Maximus. Corigliano's work is analyzed by contributor Christopher Koch, who — with the composer — examines in depth the various influences and novel spatial techniques found in this distinctive concert work.