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PROGRAM NOTES : AIR

Musica Celestis and piano commissioned by Carnegie Hall — and it was

Aaron Jay Kernis (born January 15, 1960) during that period that the idea to write a concerto for her
clicked.
Banjo-picking technique given to the solo violin was the
Musica Celestis composed in 1990 as a movement of departure point in the first movement. For the second
a string quartet, arranged for string orchestra by the movement my source material was Irish reels, the fore-
composer in 1992 runner of American Bluegrass. The template for the third
Instrumentation: strings. movement was fiddle licks with a triplet feel. In each case I
Duration: 12 minutes wrote themes of my own in these styles, and developed the
ideas into a standard, “composed” violin concerto. Every-
The following notes were provided by the composer: thing is written out, nothing improvised.
Just as when one looks up and sees the open expanse
Musica Celestis is inspired by the medieval conception of the sky, I felt an openness when writing this piece, a
of that phrase which refers to the singing of the angels in renewed freshness to putting notes together. I thank Tessa
heaven in praise of God without end. “The office of sing- for opening this door and working so closely with me on
ing pleases God if it is performed with an attentive mind, this project.
when in this way we imitate the choirs of angels who are
said to sing the Lord’s praises without ceasing.” (Aurelian of
Réöme, translated by Barbara Newman) I don’t particularly Symphony No. 41 in C Major, Jupiter
believe in angels, but found this to be a potent image that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
has been reinforced by listening to a good deal of medieval (January 27, 1756 - December 5, 1791)
music, especially the soaring work of Hildegard of Bingen
(1098-1179). This movement follows a simple, spacious Symphony No. 41 in C Major, Jupiter K. 551, composed in
melody and harmonic pattern through a number of varia- 1788, premiere date is vague
tions (like a passacaglia) and modulations, and is framed by I. Allegro vivace
an introduction and coda. — Aaron Jay Kernis II. Andante cantabile
III. Menuetto: Allegro
Musica Celestis has been arranged for string orchestra IV. Molto allegro
by the composer, based on the second movement of his Instrumentation: flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns,
String Quartet (1990). It was premiered on March 30, 1992 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings.
by the Sinfonia San Francisco, Ransom Wilson, conductor, Duration: 31 minutes
in San Francisco, California.
There’s no need to mince words here - this is a true
Sky, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra masterwork by one of the true masters of the Classical era.

Michael Torke (born September 22, 1961) This symphony encapsulates everything that made Mozart
one of the greatest musicians to ever live. It’s fitting that
Mozart’s final symphonic work would serve as a culmination
Sky, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra composed in 2018, of his symphonic voice, showing both mastery of the Clas-
commissioned for Tessa Lark by a consortium of 11 sical symphony, and pointing forward toward Beethoven’s
orchestras; premiered January 5, 2019 by Albany Sym- innovations in the form. Though the nickname for Mozart’s
phony, David Alan Miller, conductor, and Tessa Lark, 41st symphony wasn’t of his own making, Jupiter feels like
violin a fitting moniker for the work, both in terms of its style
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bas- and its sudden appearance as a bolt of creative thunder in
soons, 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone, 1 percussionist, Mozart’s output.
timpani, harp, strings, and violin soloist. In stark contrast to the brilliance of this work, the period
Duration: 23 minutes of the late 1780s was a difficult time for all artists living
in and around Austria. Earlier that decade, Mozart had
The following notes were provided by the composer: achieved vast success in concertizing his own piano concer-
tos. Success led to a better financial position for him and
The inspiration for this concerto came from Tessa Lark, his family, but as the saying goes, “Mo’ money, mo’ prob-
who will be premiering, recording, and touring the piece lems.” He moved his family into an expensive apartment in
among the consortium of orchestras that are supporting Vienna, hired servants, and sent one of his kids to an ex-
this project. Tessa is a unique artist, in that not only is she pensive boarding school, which meant there was very little
deeply immersed in the classical field but comes from Ken- of his income left over after expenses. When war broke out
tucky, with a father who is a veteran Bluegrass musician, between Russia and Turkey around 1786, the Austrian Em-
and has this style in her blood. Tessa and I worked together pire quickly became embroiled in the conflict, which meant
on an earlier piece of mine, Spoon Bread — a duo for violin

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