WorldView Episode 51: John Corigliano
Thank you for tuning in to an all-new episode of WorldView on charlottesvilleclassical.org! Episode fifty-one features a famous film work written by Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer John Corigliano: “The Red Violin: Chaconne for Violin and Orchestra.”
Born in New York City in 1938, John Paul Corigliano Jr. is one of the most accomplished soundtrack composers alive today. His parents, concertmaster John Corigliano Sr. and pianist Rose Buzen, were both accomplished musicians. After studying composition at Columbia University and the Manhattan School of Music, Corigliano Jr. helped produced Leonard Bernstein’s famed Young People’s Concerts and served as music director for the New York radio station WBAI. He gained an international reputation in 1964 when one of his compositions won the chamber music category at the Italian Festival dei Due Mondi (Festival of Two Worlds). Shortly thereafter, Corigliano was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship and returned to teach at the Manhattan School.
Corigliano’s style encompasses a wide range of genres, sometimes within the same work. He has written over 100 film scores, and received the Pulitzer Prize in Music and five Grammy awards. His most recognizable scores include those for “Altered States (1980)”, “Revolution (1985)”, and “The Red Violin (1998).” Corigliano has also written numerous works for chamber ensembles, orchestras, and soloists. One of his most famous, “Clarinet Concerto”, is among the few works composed by an American artist to enter the modern clarinet repertoire. At age 85, Corigliano still composes actively and resides in New York with his husband, composer Mark Adamo (the two were married in 2008 by conductor Marin Alsop).
Episode fifty-one of WorldView features Corigliano’s “The Red Violin: Chaconne for Violin and Orchestra”. The piece served as the titular track on his score for the 1998 film of the same name. It is performed by violinist Joshua Bell, accompanied by the Philharmonia Orchestra and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen.
WorldView Episode Fifty-One Playlist:
Ottokar NOVÁČEK, “Perpetuum Mobile”, {Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Donald Voorhees (cond), Michael Rabin (vn)} - Masterworks Heritage
Edgar MEYER, “Violin Concerto”, {The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Hugh Wolff (cond), Hilary Hahn (vn)} - Sony Classical
John CORIGLIANO, “The Red Violin: Chaconne for Violin and Orchestra”, {Philharmonia Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen (cond), Joshua Bell (vn)} - Sony Classical
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY, “Serenade Melancolique, Op. 26”, {London Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin (cond), Midori (vn)} - Philips
WorldView is a classical music radio show featuring composers from everywhere in the world - except Western Europe. Tune in to hear works by lesser-known artists such as Nancy Dalberg and Isang Yun, and widen your knowledge of classical music. Hinke Younger hosts each week’s episode of WorldView on Mondays at 9AM and 6PM (with a rebroadcast Saturdays at 2PM) on Charlottesvilleclassical.org.