Color Wheel (Kernis)
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Color Wheel is an orchestral composition written in 2001 by the American composer Aaron Jay Kernis. The work was commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra for the opening concert at Verizon Hall in the newly constructed Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia and in celebration of the orchestra's centennial. Its world premiere was performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch at Verizon Hall on December 15, 2001. Color Wheel is dedicated to the composer's wife Evelyne Luest.[1]
Background
Kernis conceived of Color Wheel as a "'miniature' concerto for orchestra," which treats the orchestra "as a large and dynamic body of sound and color." The resulting work is cast in one continuous movement and lasts about 22 minutes. The title of the piece comes from the eponymous visual tool used for organizing color hues around a circle; in the score program note, Kernis wrote, "I feel that this piece concentrates on the bolder contrasts of basic primary colors. (I sometimes see colors when I compose, and the qualities of certain chords do elicit specific sensation in me — for example, I see A major as bright yellow)."[1]
Instrumentation
The work is scored for an orchestra comprising three flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), three oboes (3rd doubling cor anglais), three clarinets (2nd doubling E♭ clarinet; 3rd doubling bass clarinet), three bassoons (3rd doubling contrabassoon), four horns, four trumpets (1st doubling piccolo trumpet), two trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, four or five percussionists, electric bass (can be substituted by a second keyboardist playing a synthesizer with electric bass sound), piano (doubling celesta), harp, and strings.[1]
