Fraternité
Air pour l’orchestre
Commissioned by New York Philharmonic Society
with generous support by Francis Goelet-Foundation
Year of composition 1999
Duration 12 minutes
World premiere
World premiere November 11th, 1999
New York · New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor Kurt Masur
Comment
In October of 1997, I received an invitation from New York Philharmonic Music Director Kurt Masur asking me to contribute a musical message for the coming millennium. Maestro Masur's letter read 'My dream would be to have you provide us with a work lasting from 10 to 15 minutes that could both stand on its own or perhaps be combined with musical messages with other composers which we might compile for a full evening's concert.'
I welcomed the opportunity to bring one of six unique perspectives to this collective exploration of the meanings of the new millennium, and it is my hope that the Multi-Arts Production Fund will chose to support the New York Philharmonic's "Messages for the Millennium" project. My Millennium Message, Fraternité, Air for Orchestra, can best be described as a quiet and placid work in which all the instruments of the orchestra are as one ... and sing in praise of harmony and peace.
Hans Werner Henze
Instrumentation
3 Flauti | 3° anche Flauto contralto |
2 Oboi | |
1 Corno inglese | |
2 Clarinetti | |
1 Clarinetto basso | |
3 Fagotti | 3° anche Controfagotto |
6 Corni | |
3 Trombe | |
6 Tromboni | 1° contralto 2°/3°/4° tenore 5° basso 6° contrabbasso |
Percussione | Timpani 2 Piatti sospesi Tamtam Tamburo piccolo Grancassa Glockenspiel Vibrafono [per 3] |
Arpa | |
Celesta | |
Pianoforte | |
Archi |