Libby larsen solo symphony
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Larsen: Solo Symphony; Marimba Concerto/Alsop
Libby Larsen deserves all of the attention she’s getting. Her music has substance, wit, color, exuberance, and a decidedly characteristic sound comprised of freshly sprung rhythms, freely tonal harmony, and bright orchestration. This music gleams. Deep Summer Music finds an exact aural equivalent for its title. Pulsing strings and percussion support a broad violin cantilena, interrupted now and again by slow trumpet cadenzas. The second movement of Vaughan Williams’ Pastoral Symphony comes immediately to mind conceptually, but the actual sound of the music is pure Larsen, including her signature use of bells and bell-like timbres.
The Solo Symphony’s eclectic mix of styles and syntax never degenerates into mere potpourri. A “concerto for orchestra”-type first movement leads to a delightfully diverse dance suite with some jazzy touches, and then after a short interlude comes a wonderfully clever finale entitled “The cocktail party effect”. Larsen pursues the principal theme through all manner of textural “diversions” and accompaniments of varying density. It’s great fun.
The Marimba Concerto, subtitled “After Hampton”, further demonstrates Larsen’s abil
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List of compositions by Libby Larsen
The following is a chronological list of compositions by Libby Larsen, divided into genre groups.
List of works
[edit]Opera
[edit]- Children's opera in one act[1]
- Moon Drop (1976 & 1980)
- full evening performance with water slides, tapes, and costumes
- Family opera in one act; John Olive, libretto
- two-act chamber opera; libretto by Patricia Hampl
- full-length music drama; libretto by Libby Larsen
- one-act opera; libretto by Walter Green
- full-length music drama in two acts; libretto by Bonnie Grice
- full-length opera with orchestra; libretty by Chas Rader-Shieber
- chamber choral opera in two acts; libretto by Bridget Carpenter
- opera in one act for child actor, SATB soloists, children's chorus, rhythm chorus, and drumming group; libretto by Libby Larsen
- chamber opera, based on the life of Jack London; libretto by Philip Littell
- opera in three acts based on the play by William Inge; libretto by David Holley
Orchestral
[edit]- Weaver's Song & Jig (1978)
- chamber orchestra and string band
- violin concerto with chamber orchestra
- full orchestra
- Overture: Parachute Dancing (1983)
- full orchestra
- Symphony: W