Background The concerto was written over the winter of 1991–1992, predominantly while Rorem was in the hospital. Rorem described the composition process as "one of physical stress," adding, "when I worked at all it was through a hazy protestant need to meet deadlines." The composer thus originally intended to call the piece
Meditations in an Emergency after
the eponymous poem by
Frank O'Hara. Rorem opted for a straightforward title, however, noting his lack of belief that "music, especially non-vocal music, necessarily reflects its maker's mood in medias res, or what people can agree—as they can with poetry and pictures—that a specific piece is angry or happy or noble, much less that it represents an ocean or an operating room." He added, "When a gloomy composer labors on a lengthy project he checks the gloom at his studio door, along with his aches and pains, and functions in a kind of limbo. (A definition of the Artist: One who exists outside himself, and has something to show for it. He is the least egotistical of citizens)." Given his lack of mobility, this was the first piece that Rorem composed directly onto paper without any keyboard instrument. The work was started on December 6, 1991 and completed on June 13, 1992. In the score program notes, he wrote:
Structure The work has a duration of approximately 23 minutes and is cast in five
movements: • Preamble and Amble • Love Letter • Recurring Dream • Perpetual Motion • Medley and Prayer
Instrumentation The work is scored for solo English horn and an orchestra comprising two
flutes (2nd doubling
piccolo), two
oboes, two
clarinets, two
bassoons, two
horns, two
trumpets,
timpani, four percussionists,
harp,
piano (doubling
celesta), and
strings. ==Reception==