Watch the name of Avner Dorman, a composer not afraid to wear his musical debts on his sleeve, and who delights in looking back to the familiar here, mostly the Baroque era, to simply entertain with grace, wit and skill. Dorman studied with John Corigliano and shows no less a fund of invention as his celebrated mentor in these concertos for mandolin, piccolo and piano. Both Dorman and Corigliano appeared at the New Music Festival this week.
Much of the fun is picking out the influences: Vivaldi and Bach, dustings of Piazzolla and Rodrigo in the Piccolo Concerto, Ravel in the Piano Concerto’s centerpiece and much more. Sometimes they spin by, other times expand, all the time charged with an engaging vitality that never lets up. It’s thoughtful too, as the Mandolin Concerto’s more expressive moments of tremolo flank a driving Middle Eastern central movement.
The performances by the superb soloists and hair-trigger orchestra are stunning. Grab this and enjoy.