Christopher Rouse

Introduction
Christopher Rouse is an American composer born February 15th, 1949 in Baltimore, Maryland. He studied with Richard Hoffmann at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and completed his graduate at Cornell University, during this time he was also studying privately with George Crumb. Rouse is categorized as a neoromantic composer and there are a number of his works that are atonal and others that are tonal.

Work Analysis
The work I will be analyzing is Rouse's Symphony No. 3. This orchestral composition was commissioned by the St. Louis Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. It was completed on February 3rd, 2011 and was premiered on May 5th, 2011 at Powell Hall in St. Louis, Missouri. ROuse has commented that the Symphony is a reworking of Prokofiev's Symphony No. 2 in D minor which was a homage to Beethoven's final Piano Sonata. The work is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, four trombones, tuba, two harps, timpani, percussion, violins I and II, violas, violoncellos, and double basses. The symphony is divided into two different movements one described as aggressive and the other a theme with five variations. The beginning of the piece starts off very loud and fast in tempo with a strong horn section and a fast pace flute melody. The percussion is extremely prominent in this piece instead of being used to establish a time signature. The second theme starts slow and melancholy and remains this way with a strong clarinet solo/theme.

Comparisons
Rouse is classified as a neoromantic so his music is similar to composers like Tredici, and Rochberg. Leonard Bernstein had a large impact on Rouse to a point where Bernstein's death in 1990 and a series of other deaths inspired what Rouse would call a "Death Cycle" which is a group of pieces that serve as reactions to deaths.

Observations
As someone who has been trained in playing the flute, I enjoyed the prominent flute melodies not only at the beginning but just throughout the piece as a whole. I loved the idea of Rouse composing a death cycle I think it's extremely emotional and touching in so many ways. Most of the composers from this time that I have researched never poured actual emotion into there work so it was refreshing and warm.