Rouse, C.: Iscariot / Clarinet Concerto / Symphony No. 1

Featuring

Alan Gilbert
Martin Fröst
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Christopher Rouse

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Compositional Technique

For his Clarinet Concerto, Christopher Rouse used American television game shows of the 1950s as inspiration, incorporating elements of frantic atmosphere, sudden surprises, and unpredictability.

Compositional Technique

In his Clarinet Concerto, Christopher Rouse rolled a pair of dice every twelve bars; if he rolled two sixes, he would introduce a 'microconcerto' with a more tonal harmony and Mozartean gestures.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Christopher Rouse's First Symphony explores the dismantling of the 19th-century romantic idea of heroism, imagining a hero whose defeat goes unnoticed and unlamented.

Performer Biography

Martin Fröst, the clarinet virtuoso on this recording, is the artistic director of the Swedish 'Winter Festival', which takes place around the frozen Lake Orsa.

Composer Biography

Christopher Rouse, the composer, taught a course on the history of rock music for many years at the Eastman School of Music, where he was Professor of Composition.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Christopher Rouse's orchestral work Iscariot, despite its title referencing Judas Iscariot, has no biblical connection and is instead the composer's most privately autobiographical piece.