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Located in the USA
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- John Corigliano
STOMP (for orchestra) (2010)
- G Schirmer Inc (World)
First recording reserved.
Programme Note
Composer note:
STOMP began as a solo (unaccompanied) violin piece written for the semi-finalists of the Tchaikovsky Competition several years ago. In order to test the performers' ability to do new things, I included in this piece special difficulties that the standard repertoire they were playing did not pose.
For one thing, I changed the tuning of the violin so that the lowest open string (G) now sounded a third lower, on E: I also tuned the highest string (E) down a half-step, to E-flat. For the players, this meant they had to relearn where their fingers had to be placed to get their pitches. It enabled me to write a crunchy low E as the bass note of the violin, which alternated with the open two top strings sounding A and E-flat – making possible some pungently dissonant intervals.
If this weren’t enough, I asked the players to tap or stomp on certain beats. This was because Stomp is actually “fiddle music” – country music, bluegrass and jazz combined, and the original players of this music often stomp to the rhythm (and mis-tune their instruments).
In adapting STOMP for orchestra, I was beset with problems. How was I to take a mostly single line instrument like a violin and fill it out so a whole orchestra could play it?
Very often the melodies of the solo violin implied harmonies, and sometimes the violin played chords with its four strings. I took both ideas to beef up the texture of the piece, and did away with the changed tuning (after all, I had violas to play my low E now!). But I could not give up the tapping and stomping – so you will hear sections of the orchestra, and finally the full orchestra stomping away. I hope they don’t drown out their playing – but I will find that out when we play it.
The piece is only 7 minutes long – shorter than it takes to read this program note, so I will end by saying that this should be fun for everyone, and I hope it is.
— John Corigliano
Related works:
STOMP (for violin)
STOMP (for orchestra)
STOMP (for wind ensemble)
STOMP began as a solo (unaccompanied) violin piece written for the semi-finalists of the Tchaikovsky Competition several years ago. In order to test the performers' ability to do new things, I included in this piece special difficulties that the standard repertoire they were playing did not pose.
For one thing, I changed the tuning of the violin so that the lowest open string (G) now sounded a third lower, on E: I also tuned the highest string (E) down a half-step, to E-flat. For the players, this meant they had to relearn where their fingers had to be placed to get their pitches. It enabled me to write a crunchy low E as the bass note of the violin, which alternated with the open two top strings sounding A and E-flat – making possible some pungently dissonant intervals.
If this weren’t enough, I asked the players to tap or stomp on certain beats. This was because Stomp is actually “fiddle music” – country music, bluegrass and jazz combined, and the original players of this music often stomp to the rhythm (and mis-tune their instruments).
In adapting STOMP for orchestra, I was beset with problems. How was I to take a mostly single line instrument like a violin and fill it out so a whole orchestra could play it?
Very often the melodies of the solo violin implied harmonies, and sometimes the violin played chords with its four strings. I took both ideas to beef up the texture of the piece, and did away with the changed tuning (after all, I had violas to play my low E now!). But I could not give up the tapping and stomping – so you will hear sections of the orchestra, and finally the full orchestra stomping away. I hope they don’t drown out their playing – but I will find that out when we play it.
The piece is only 7 minutes long – shorter than it takes to read this program note, so I will end by saying that this should be fun for everyone, and I hope it is.
— John Corigliano
Related works:
STOMP (for violin)
STOMP (for orchestra)
STOMP (for wind ensemble)
