Boosey & Hawkes

New York Philharmonic premiere for Turnage's Scherzoid

(February 2005)

When the New York Philharmonic commissioned British composer Mark-Anthony Turnage to write a new piece, he responded with Scherzoid, a work that has much in common with the city where it made its debut. Like New York, Scherzoid is tough, energetic, dazzling, and multi-hued; it’s full of contradictions, yet presents a strong identity to the world. Young Chinese conductor Xian Zhang, making her New York Philharmonic debut, led the premiere on January 12 at Lincoln Center.

"Mr. Turnage’s work is, as the title suggests, essentially an extended scherzo, but with a decidedly split personality,” observed Allan Kozinn in The New York Times. “Much of it is based on an insistent rhythmic underpinning that demands a steady level of energy, even as its tension level ebbs and flows. At times, it blossoms into passages of mechanistic writing in the style of the American composer George Antheil, or bursts of syncopation that call early Stravinsky to mind. But there are jazz turns here, too, including brass vamps that require a good measure of suppleness….The shifts are still plentiful enough to justify the score's title, not to mention Mr. Turnage's reputation for adventurous eclecticism.”

Vivien Schweitzer of Newsday called the score “riveting….The 17-minute Scherzoid is divided into three scherzos and two trios, with the energetic, jazzy and relentless rhythms of the scherzos complemented by soulful string melodies in the more melodic trios. Turnage weaves his trademark vast percussion section into the huge orchestral fabric of Scherzoid - as marimbas, vibraphones, xylophones, drums and gongs punctuate melodies and propel the piece forward with driving purpose.”

Wrote Bradley Bambarger of the Newark Star-Ledger, “Scherzoid is the latest example of Turnage's ability to incorporate modern jazz influences into a fresh, forward-minded orchestral idiom. Miles Davis and Stravinsky are the 44-year-old composer's prime inspirations, with his work yielding all the rhythmic energy and textural color those names suggest.

“A kaleidoscopic riot of blue-hued harmonies and silvery tuned percussion, the 18-minute Scherzoid evoked both Scherzo and ‘Schizo.’ The pace was often wired and led to a high-impact climax, yet there were pools of lovely calm and a characteristic Turnage cameo for solo soprano saxophone.”

Scherzoid is not the only U.S. commission for Turnage this season. A Man Descending, commissioned by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra along with three European ensembles (the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Tapiola Sinfonietta, and Umea Chamber Music Festival), receives its North American premiere on May 6 and 7, with Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducting the SPCO; the soloist is tenor saxophone giant Joe Lovano, for whom Turnage wrote the work.

> Further information on Work: Scherzoid

Photo: Keith Saunders

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