Bernstein: The Age of Anxiety (Symphony No. 2) – Bolcom: Piano Concerto
10/27/2023, 21 Tracks, 59:28
Featuring
Dmitry Sitkovetsky
Marc-André Hamelin
Ulster Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein
William Bolcom
Did you know?
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Composition History
Part of Bernstein's 'The Age of Anxiety' Symphony No. 2, specifically 'The Dirge', was completed in Israel in 1948 while he was conducting the Israel Philharmonic during the war of independence.
Composition History
Bernstein's 'The Age of Anxiety' Symphony No. 2 was inspired by a long poem of the same name by W. H. Auden, published in 1948.
Composer Biography
William Bolcom, born in 1938, is known for his refusal to separate popular and classical idioms in his music, a characteristic evident in his Piano Concerto.
Compositional Technique
Bernstein revised the Epilogue of 'The Age of Anxiety' in 1965 to keep the piano involved, as it was originally excluded except for a single solo chord at the end.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bernstein identified so strongly with Auden's poem 'The Age of Anxiety' that he saw himself as the pianist and 'autobiographical protagonist' in his symphonic realization.
Composition History
William Bolcom's Piano Concerto, commissioned in 1976, was described by the composer as 'one of the bitterest pieces' he had written, reflecting his reaction to the American Bicentennial celebrations.
Composer Biography
Leonard Bernstein rocketed to fame overnight in 1943 when he stepped in for Bruno Walter to conduct the New York Philharmonic in a nationally broadcast concert.
