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Native Son
By Daniel Sonenberg
Composer John Corigliano, whose Pied Piper Fantasy was performed by Sir James Galway and the Orchestra on February 26–28 and March 2, recently spoke with Daniel Sonenberg, composer and Brooklyn College visiting assistant professor, about his music and his long history with the New York Philharmonic.
DANIEL SONENBERG: Your work has always exhibited a great genius for orchestral writing. It’s almost as if it were your native instrument. I know that your father was Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic for probably most of your childhood and beyond. What was it like to grow up with the New York Philharmonic, and what role did it play in your skill as an orchestrator?
JOHN CORIGLIANO: I did go to a lot of rehearsals, not just when my father played concertos, but other times, and I also knew the players as my father’s colleagues and friends. I went with the Philharmonic in 1951 on its first tour to Europe after World War II to the Edinburgh Festival. I think just listening to [the Orchestra] was the way I grew to be able to write for it. William Schuman [the composer] told me at one point he loved my orchestration. And I said, you know I don’t know that much. I look things up all the time. And he said yes, but you hear the orchestra inside your head.
DS: The Philharmonic has done several world premieres of yours and numerous other performances. Is it a special or particularly emotional experience for you to hear your work performed by the Philharmonic?
JC: It is an emotional experience to have the Philharmonic play my music. When Glenn Dicterow played the solos in Vocalise I couldn’t help but imagine my father sitting there; the Orchestra has such memories, and there are people like Stanley Drucker and a few others who are still there playing. So I have a great emotional attachment.
And as far as a special experience, that would depend on who’s conducting. But generally the Orchestra’s very fast; they pick up things. I think it shows that they play more new music than certain other orchestras, because they do have a way to just jump in and do it. I can tell you something very interesting: When Bernstein did my Clarinet Concerto in 1977, they had a Tuesday night concert — the premiere — and Monday was the beginning of the rehearsal week, which meant that the Orchestra saw the work on Monday, and on Tuesday there was a dress rehearsal and they played it Tuesday night. This is a piece with antiphonal brass all around the audience, and clarinets up in the balcony — you know, all sorts of things.
At the rehearsal, Lenny talked for 50, five-0, minutes before conducting. He went through the whole piece with them, describing what he was going to do. By the end of 50 minutes, with the premiere the next night, I was ready for a stretcher, to be taken away to Bellevue. I was completely mad. I mean insane mad, not angry mad. Just the idea that we hadn’t started yet; there were no notes played.
And somehow what he did was the right thing. They just got it, and gave an amazing premiere. And yet he did that and talked for 50 minutes.
DS: Concerning the Pied Piper Fantasy: I know you composed the piece for James Galway, and he’s doing it with the Philharmonic. He also plays the tin whistle, and the last movement is written for that instrument exclusively.
JC: Not exclusively. There’s an alternate. If someone wants to play it on piccolo they can, and a few do, although tin whistle is by far the better choice because of the children’s sound.
DS: The piece has a wonderful surprise in store for the audience in the final movement.
JC: Yes, the kids love it!
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