Concertato

Description

An exception to Mennin’s “pure” compositional approach, the concertato Moby Dick depicts “the emotional impact of the novel as a whole.” The work was composed in 1952, the result of a commission from the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra. It received its premiere in October of that year under the baton of Fritz Mahler. Mennin received an outline of a libretto based on Mellville’s novel that compelled him to read the original work. In Mennin’s own words: "a dramatic work for orchestra motivated by the Melville novel, rather than following a specific programmatic outline. The piece depicts the emotional impact of the novel as a whole rather than musically describing isolated incidents occurring in the novel." Written as a concerto for orchestra, the piece is divided into two sections. In the first section, the strings introduce a motive, which is developed through counterpoint, leading to a climax that is immediately followed by an allegro section. The allegro builds on two existing motives, one introduced by the woodwinds and one by the strings. The material builds to a second climax before giving way to a more lyrical section. The work ends with a rousing coda.