Neo-Romantic composition style?

I've heard that John Corigliano's work may be considered neo-romantic. I'm really interested in learning more about this style...particularly the Piano Concerto and the String Quartet No. 1. I have the PC score and I've seen the SQ score but I really don't know much about analyzing it. I just want to gain an understanding of how the music works. I've taken theory classes but we didn't really go very far into 20th century writing. Basically I'm looking for any resources to learn about this style. I have access to a large university library, so any books you may recommend I could check out.

Thanks for any help!

Nolan

the piano concerto is a relatively early work, along with the violin sonata.

I would consider those early works as more "neo-classical" because of the emphasis on form and the attention to detail in structure and development rather than the over-arching expressivity of the work.

the piano concerto's first movement is based on that three-note motif that you ehar at the outset - first in teh brass as a sort of massive clusterish texture, then presented and developed in the piano solo and percussion accompaniment. Then comes the very tonal 2nd theme. The development re-presents the two themes in their original guise then starts to reverse their functions - the aggressive opening theme becomes lyrical and the lyrical 2nd theme becomes aggressive and dissonant.

it's really a very fascinating work.

(excuse me if I get the order of the second and third movements mixed)

The scherzo is based on both a tone-row and a sequence of chords made up of stacked thirds.

the adagio movement, if I recall correctly, was based on sets of arching melodies with the same number of notes.

And the final rondo reprises the material of the entire concerto between repetitions of that wonderfully playful fugato theme.

Mmmmm Corigliano, one who is also considered a "neo-romantic" is Jacob Druckman. You can listen to some of his works here.

Art of the States: Jacob Druckman

Very cool music...I really enjoyed that.

Qccowboy, those descriptions are accurate. The form of each movement is pretty interesting, especially the first (sonata-allegro) and the last (rondo). I like how the two themes of the first movement are developed and eventually turn into each other and how the last movement incorporates material from all the movements.

I'm still puzzled by the harmonic writing of this style. Does this music follow any sort of guidelines? How does Corigliano write this sort of music? If it is OK, I'd like to attach some of the first movement, the second theme (starting at rehearsal "9"). Could anyone explain a bit of what is going on harmonically?

Corigliano(excerpt).pdf

Actually, the 2nd theme proper starts at around 3 before "10". at 9 is the fragmentary remains of theme I.

I don't know if I would try to analyze it quite as though it were common practice, but as the 2nd theme starts (3 before 10), the bass is what identifies the harmony: E "minor", then the 1st inversion (G in the bass), then what is basically a 7th chord on F sharp, which moves using a suspension (the C#) in the melody onto G#, which does a nice V- I into C# minor.

remember there are LOTS of "non-chord tones" in this. appogiaturas, passing notes, suspensions. considerably more than one might find in coomon practice harmony.

the second theme relies heavily on appogiaturas and suspensions. the C# that is the 2nd note of the theme is an appogiatura to the D nat. which is itself the 7th of an E minor 7th chord, then when the 1st inversion chord is used in the next measure the same C# is an appogiatura to the 5th of the chord (B natural)

So what we're seeing is an extension of contrapuntal technique where dissonant notes are being prepared themselves with other dissonant notes.

as for the upper part (the high strings) starting at the Andante, they have been playing the chromatic motif (theme I) and repeating by 4ths - using the bass note of the 3-note motif as a "launching point" to start a new iteration of the 3-note motif. It's rather cannonic.