John Corigliano - Clarinet Concerto

Stanley Druker, clarinet New York Philharmonic, conducted by Zubin Mehta. I. Cadenzas 0:00 II. Elegy 9:00 III. Antiphonal Toccata 17:35 The world premiere took place on December 6, 1977, in New York, with soloist Stanley Drucker and the New York Philharmonic directed by Leonard Bernstein. The piece and the performances were great successes. Commissioned by the Philharmonic, the Clarinet Concerto is dedicated to Drucker and Bernstein. Allan Kozinn, writing in the New York Times, lavished praise on the piece: “It is indeed a sophisticated work with a complex formal structure and a harmonic base that takes in everything from major/minor tonality to clusters and 12-tone rows... It also aims for visceral appeal.“ The Philharmonic took the Concerto on European tours in 1977 and 1980. When Corigliano received the commission for the Clarinet Concerto, he wanted to utilize every player in the group, giving many of them solos. At times, the piece sounds like a concerto for orchestra. Having had lessons with Drucker