Composition Piano Concerto No. 3 (Lieberson)

1 composition

1.1 background
1.2 structure
1.3 instrumentation

composition
background

the concerto inspired poetry lieberson had read in preceding years, particularly works chilean poet pablo neruda (lieberson later further explore works of pablo neruda in 2005 song cycle neruda songs). composer first drawn neruda s poem leviathan, depicts huge iceberg floating on dark arctic sea, illuminated flashes of soft fluorescent light. describing language of poem passionate , wrathful, lieberson decided concerto should cast in 5 movements, each inspired different poem different poet.

lieberson decided first movement inspired canticle sun of st. augustine, discovered halfway through composition music more fit second, slow movement. decided movement inspired leviathan should instead first movement. lieberson had sketched second , fourth movements based on poems t. s. eliot , charles wright, realized both not intrinsic flow of piece. composer instead wrote final movement inspired wright s poem dog creek mainline. lieberson recalled, ended three-movement concerto, wanted write, had found way through these poems.

the piece lieberson s third piano concerto composed peter serkin.

structure

the concerto has duration of 30 minutes , composed in 3 movements:

the second movement dedicated memory of lieberson s mother, died before work s completion.

instrumentation

the work scored solo piano , orchestra comprising 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, english horn, 3 clarinets (3rd doubling e-flat clarinet , bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, 4 percussionists, harp, , strings.