Cunningham's VIOLIN CONCERTO was composed in 1995. It is in three movements, and explores the lyric possibilities of the violin. Here the orchestra attempts to assert itself against the constant melodic sorcery of the singing violin. And for a while ascendancy is possible. There are even attempts to resolve some of the riddles of the earlier movements. But, eventually the violin's insistent and agitated song prevails, and the concerto ends in a gesture of unsettled resignation.
It took Michael G. Cunningham 43 years to create his opus DIALOGUE FOR ORCHESTRA AND WIND TRIO. The end result resembles a Sinfonia concertante, with its small concertino pitted against a larger orchestra. In this work the concertino is clearly set off from the larger group, and constantly asserts itself in independent statements, while the orchestra reacts to those assertions.
DIAPHONY FOR ORCHESTRA AND WIND TRIO was created in l993, and balances off the movement described above.
Here the form or process strongly resembles that of the Baroque Ritornello. While the concertino can at times be easily heard, there are other spots when it just melds into the total orchestral fabric.
With KALEIDOSCOPE, here is music that strives to be as absolute and abstract as is possible. The forward thrust
derives only from the notes that are used, and the conclusion is also based on that inner impetus.
WAKEFIELD AUTUMN is a pastoral idyll that attempts to portray the beauty of a small town in the Northern peninsula of Michigan the composer has never seen. Since the beauty of any place is usually in the mind, he was able to see the beauty of Wakefield in terms of another person's vision. Perhaps you too will be able to see it.
VENUS AND ADONIS is ballet music intended for either Classical Ballet or Modern Dance. It is depiction music that
ideally blends well with an audience's divided attention: dance and music. The plot here follows the Shakespeare version of this Classical Greek story.
- Adapted excerpts from the album liner notes by Michael G. Cunningham
Michael G. Cunningham was born in Warren, Michigan in 1937. He holds music degrees from Wayne State University (Detroit), University of Michigan and Indiana University. More than six of his short Theory and Composition books are published. As a composer he has created well over 200 compositions for nearly every medium. |
