Concerto for Orchestra Op. 81 (2002) c. 32'00"
(3.3.3.3/4.3.3.1/timp/perc(5)/hp/pno d cel/strings)
in one movement
The Concerto for Orchestra was commissioned by the Edward H. Schmidt Musical Arts Fund of the Toledo Symphony
First performed on September 20, 2002 at the Peristyle Theater in Toledo, Ohio by the Toledo Symphony conducted by Grant Llewellyn.
RECORDINGS
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REVIEWS
“this is an expertly crafted virtuoso essay that gives everyone a moment to shine at some point, and it’s a tribute to Liebermann’s technique that even the odder instruments make sense in their context”
Classics Today
“Alternately rich and gritty in harmonic and melodic content, Liebermann’s youthfully optimistic Concerto for Orchestra is a virtuoso piece from start to finish. The conceptual idea behind such a work is to treat every member, or at least each section, of the orchestra as a soloist. Liebermann accepted this challenge with a vengeance. From the dark cello motif that opened the work, the score constantly pitted one section of the orchestra against another. Listening to the work develop, one often felt as if some spectacular clash of wills was unfolding across the stage. Melodies - sometimes long, more often shattered into agitated fragments - broke across each other in clashing rhythms that reminded this listener of the Greek Furies.”
The Toledo Blade