The Double Concerto is a composition for violin, cello, and orchestra by the

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composer Ned Rorem. The work was commissioned by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and composed between July 27, 1997, and April 1998. It was composed for the violinist Jaime Laredo and the cellist Sharon Robinson, who first performed the piece with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Raymond Leppard in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

on October 15, 1998.

Composition

Background

Rorem had known and worked with the cellist Sharon Robinson and the violinist Jaime Laredo for many years. In 1980, Rorem had composed his suite ''After Reading Shakespeare'' specifically for Sharon Robinson. Likewise, he had composed his 1984 Violin Concerto for Jaime Laredo. Thus, when Rorem received a commission from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, he used the opportunity to write a double concerto for the two soloists. Rorem described his intent for the piece in the score program notes, writing:

Structure

The work has a duration of roughly 35 minutes and is cast in eight movements: #Morning #Adam and Eve #Mazurka #Staying on Alone #Their Accord #Looking #Conversation at Midnight #Flight

Instrumentation

The work is scored for solo violin and cello and a small orchestra comprising two flutes, two oboes, two

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

s, two

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

s, two horns, two trumpets, and

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

. In the score program notes, Rorem commented on the meek instrumentation, remarking, "The scoring is plain: only eight winds, four brass, and strings. No glamorous harps, keyboards, or mallets, and no percussion, none. (In growing older I've come to feel that percussion is, at best, mere decoration, at worst, immoral, like too many earrings or too many exclamation points!!)"

Reception

Reviewing a recording of the work, Peter Dickinson of ''

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'' wrote:

Recording

A recording of the work, performed by Laredo, Robinson, and the IRIS Orchestra under the direction of

Michael Stern Michael Stern may refer to: * Michael Stern (conductor) (born 1959), American musician * Michael Stern (educator) (1922–2002), founder of the Waterford Kamhlaba United World College * Michael Stern (journalist) (1910–2009), American journalist ...

, was released through

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in December 2006.

References

{{Ned Rorem Concertos by Ned Rorem 1998 compositions Rorem Music commissioned by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra