Concerto Competition

Seeing as there hasn't been a competition in a while, I have decided to come up with a new one. A Concerto Competition. It's not so original, but it is a good start for these competitions. The concerto must consist of 3 movements for a solo instrument of your choice. But the orchestra shouldn't be a full orchestra. It should only consist of instruments from the same family as the soloist. (Ex. Trumpet soloist, brass ensemble accompaniment. Violin soloist, string accompaniment.) The movements must follow this pattern:

• I. (Prelude) An Introductory movement, introducing the theme of the piece. Any tempo.
  
• II. (Intermezzo) A slow or fast movement, no in between. (Slow=50-80 bpm, Fast=170-200 bpm.)
  
• III. (Finale) A slow or fast movement. Can't be the same tempo as Movement II. If Movement II is slow, III must be fast.

1. A PDF is required.
   
2. A .mus (Finale) file is preferred, but not required.
   
3. A MIDI file is also required, but may be substituted with an mp3.
   
4. I do not need judges to assist me, but if you are interested in judging, PM me and I may choose judges, depending on the number of applicants.
   
5. Title the concerto as you wish. Each movement does not need its own name.
   
6. PM me if you would like to register. No submissions will be accepted unless you have registered by sending a PM. All registrations are due by April 9th, 2009.The deadline for this competition is July 14.

Any questions, please PM me. I would be more than happy to answer!

cool, I might give it a try :)

I would consider allowing the Intermezzo or Finale to be Moderato (around 132 bpm), just to get more people to enter. People like a little more power over how their piece is organized...

Interesting. So a piano concerto would be for piano and percussion? Or piano and strings?or piano and fifty other pianos?

I'd write a flute concerto. Would this mean a wind ensemble or a flute ensemble?

I'm a little tentative to join but I'll consider it! (Quite busy recently)

Piano concertos are debateable. You could do strings or percussion. Either is fine. Flute would be for a wind ensemble.

What's wrong with an orchestra out of keyboard instruments?

Would be fun.

I'll take the piano concerto! (With percussion ensemble). How big does this percussion ensemble have to be? I know a pretty full sound can come from just four to six percussionists...

Also, I don't mean to be rude...but what's the prize? I'm okay with bragging rights. :D

Wouldn't one movement be sufficient enough?

One movement would not be a concerto. The prize...Yes bragging rights. And a spot in the new online orchestra that I started, no audition necessary! (If you play an instrument.) Exciting, right? ;) Message Board - Home There is an unlimited number of instruments, so do however many you want. Don't get crazy though:).

One movement would not be a concerto.

I beg to differ! (Schulhoff's amazing Piano Concerto alla jazz was one movement. :D)

Again, this looks interesting. I'll look into it.

No it is at least 3. Classical Net Review - Schulhoff - Concertos alla Jazz The second paragraph of information has the information about that particular piece. :D But it would be great if you would participate!

What are you talking about?

It wouldn't be a concerto then? Wow.

can it be a concerto for orchestra? or at least concerto for the instrument group we pick?

What are you talking about?

It wouldn't be a concerto then? Wow.

One movement isn't a concerto.

Yes.... A one movement work can be a concerto...

No a concerto has at least 3 movements. One movement can be a portion of a concerto. Very often, a single movement is heard as an individual piece and still titled a concerto, but the movement # and whatnot is left off. A one movement work can be a piece for a soloist, but not a concerto.

Let me school you--

The first Szymanowski violin concerto:

"The CONCERTO is a one-movement, internally diverse poem.."

Penderecki's viola concerto... it is also one movement:

Let's see, what else is there?

Anyone else want to pop in and say something?

By the way, Dictionary.com says nothing of how many movements, while wikipedia says that a concerto is usually with three movements... usually... so maybe not always, right?

Yeah...

Sources:

http://www.culture.pl/en/culture/artykuly/dz_szymanowski_1_koncert_skrzypcow

Szymanowski violin concerto: 5 movements. Nice try.

Penderecki's viola concerto: Also 5 movements.

Concertos can have cadenzas, which is probably what you hear.

Sources: SZYMANOWSKI: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 / Nocturne and Tarantella - 8.557981

Polish culture: KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI, "VIOLA CONCERTO"

I'm sorry, but the viola concerto isn't divided into movements. Those are simply tempo markings. And of course, there are other pieces divided not divided into multiple movements that are concerti...

Sally Beamish's viola concerto, also one movement.

Lebedev's concerto in one movement for Tuba

Oh and on the Szy:

"The design of Szymanowski's First Violin Concerto is truly sui generis--it recalls no standard form and yet it is far from formless. Unlike the other prominent violin concertos of the twentieth century--from Elgar's, Bart

Alright I'm not gonna waste my time looking at all of that. Feel free to write a one movement concerto. Just not for this competition. Feel free to write on 5 movement one and say it's one movement, like Szymanowski's First Violin Concerto. It was only considered to be one movement because of the continuous sound. It was really 5. And the Berg concerto doesn't really help your case anyway because it even says that it was written in 4 movements.

Yeah, so ignore the other 4 concerti I pointed out.

The Berg was to point out that the movements aren't self contained. Like with the Szymanowski... the themes, and everything is so interwoven-- it isn't 5 SEPARATE movements. This is especially true with the Penderecki. I own the score... there is no indication for separate movements.

Go read a book.

Ok so Lebedev may be one exception. But Sally Beamish's second viola concerto was 3 movements, according to this site: BEAMISH: Viola Concerto No. 2 / Whitescape / Sangsters mp3s, BEAMISH: Viola Concerto No. 2 / Whitescape / Sangsters music downloads, BEAMISH: Viola Concerto No. 2 / Whitescape / Sangsters songs from eMusic.com . And the first was also 3. BEAMISH: Viola Concerto No. 2 / Whitescape / Sangsters mp3s, BEAMISH: Viola Concerto No. 2 / Whitescape / Sangsters music downloads, BEAMISH: Viola Concerto No. 2 / Whitescape / Sangsters songs from eMusic.com 2nd paragraph.

It turns out that that viola concerto in one movement is more than one movement. The link you gave me says it's a reduction of the parts, as in somee has been taken out.

Korngold was a film composer, and that was actually underscore, so I wouldn't even count that.

How is that for ya?

You linked the second Beamish concerto twice. The first Beamish concerto is in one continuous movement, lasting around 16 minutes. Even the recording I have of it is in one take.

Korngold's concerto counts... as does the many others I have listed. He composed serious concert works, as does John Williams does today.. and other composers of the past, like Miklos Rozsa.

The link to Don's concerto is a piano reduction... the orchestration is reduced to a piano part playable so a violist can rehearse.

This doesn't change the fact that it is in one movement. No movements have been removed. If you removed even one of the movements of this concerto... there would be no concerto... seeing as it is one movement.

Tempo markings and piano reductions do not constitute multiple movements.

You've made things up like what, twice now?

Um no I haven't. But whatever. I'm sick of this and I'm done with you. I don't even care anymore. I'm just trying to hold a competition with 3-movement concerti. If you don't want to participate, then leave it alone. I don't care for all of this arguing right now.

:(:(:(

But then you'll never learn!!