Previn is composing a concerto for orchestra
mainThe frail conductor, 87, has accepted a commission from the Kalamazoo Symphony to composer a 30-minute piece for its centenary in 2021.
Announcement:
Kalamazoo, MI, October 13, 2016 – The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to announce that Maestro André Previn will write a ‘Concerto for Orchestra’ to be premiered as part of the Orchestra’s finale concert of its 100th Anniversary season in 2020-2021.
“Previn is a man of few words about his own music” says Mattie Kaiser, his representative at music publishing company G. Schirmer, while Previn briefly commented, “It’s a big piece, about thirty minutes long, and in four movements. I’m quite excited to be able to use such a sizeable orchestra…. Whatever is good about it, I hope is in the music.”
It will be a great piece — this is someone who will be remembered above all for what he has written, and for his grasp of all the strands of 20th-century music.
The least one can say, is that Previn is quite optimistic, in contrast with the nature of most 20C music.
This is an amazing coup for a USA regional orchestra and shows clearly the support of the composer for such orchestras. Pretty amazing!
Yes. I’m actually quite curious how this commission came about. One could understand if it were Houston, Pittsburgh or L.A. Probably some board connection … .
I wonder how much of it is already written. Sounds like he has a fairly clear picture of its form. And great that he’s writing again for orchestra alone, after all the concertos, chamber music, songs and opera. If I had the money, I’d order ten 10-minute Previn tone poems!
Most likely it came about because they simply asked him, and because he’s not at all greedy. Previn is a true servant of music, a humble man who conducts, plays, and composes because he loves it – and not because there is money to be made.
His earnings from his career as a conductor and performer, and the record sales he has made, mean that he can afford to take the commissions that interest him. Other composers may well have been less financially fortunate, meaning they really do have to worry about the size of the cheque that comes with the commission.