Deus ex Machina (composition)
Encyclopedia
Deus ex Machina is a composition by Michael Daugherty
. It is a 33 minute composition commissioned by the Charlotte, Nashville, New Jersey, Rochester and Syracuse Symphony Orchestras. It won the 2011 Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition for a recording by soloist Terrance Wilson and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra
under the baton of Giancarlo Guerrero.
Deus ex Machina was recorded and released on Naxos
along with a work from earlier in Michael Daugherty's career, the Metropolis Symphony
. The album was nominated for a total of 5 Grammys. In addition to Best Classical Contemporary Composition, it won in the categories of Best Orchestral Performance and Best Engineered Album, Classical.
.” Each of the three movements of the piano concerto is a musical response by the composer to the world of trains.
Michael Daugherty
Michael Kevin Daugherty is an American composer, pianist, and teacher. Influenced by popular culture, Romanticism, and Postmodernism, Daugherty is one of the most colorful and widely performed American concert music composers of his generation...
. It is a 33 minute composition commissioned by the Charlotte, Nashville, New Jersey, Rochester and Syracuse Symphony Orchestras. It won the 2011 Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition for a recording by soloist Terrance Wilson and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra
Nashville Symphony Orchestra
The Nashville Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The orchestra performs 140 concerts annually.-History:...
under the baton of Giancarlo Guerrero.
Deus ex Machina was recorded and released on Naxos
Naxos Records
Naxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
along with a work from earlier in Michael Daugherty's career, the Metropolis Symphony
Metropolis Symphony
Metropolis Symphony for Orchestra by American composer Michael Daugherty, is a five-movement symphony inspired by Superman comics. The entire piece was created over the span of five years with separate commissions for each movement. Individual movements may be performed separately, however, it is...
. The album was nominated for a total of 5 Grammys. In addition to Best Classical Contemporary Composition, it won in the categories of Best Orchestral Performance and Best Engineered Album, Classical.
Program note
The title Deus ex Machina refers to the Latin phrase, “god from the machineDeus ex machina
A deus ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object.-Linguistic considerations:...
.” Each of the three movements of the piano concerto is a musical response by the composer to the world of trains.
Instrumentation
Instruments used: piano, piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.Performance history
The world Premiere performance was on March 16, 2007 at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Belk Theater, Charlotte, North Carolina. It was premiered by the Terrence Wilson with the Charlotte Symphony, conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero.Discography
- DAUGHERTY, M.: Metropolis Symphony / Deus ex Machina (T. Wilson piano, Nashville Symphony, Guerrero conductor) 2009, Naxos.