David Amram's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1974): An Exploration of Amram's Diverse Style

Abstract

This document examines David Amram's (b. 1930) diverse compositional style, as represented by his Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1974). Amram's unique background as a performer in various genres allows him to blend styles seamlessly. He highlights the use of a wide range of styles in this work, which makes this concerto a significant work in the twentieth century, American violin concerto repertoire as well as bridging the classical, jazz, and world genres creating a truly American style of music. This document examines how these influences--including classical, jazz, world music, and "Beat Generation" artists--have influenced David Amram's compositional style as represented in his Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. Biographical information about David Amram, including his life, compositional output, and a brief musical analysis with an emphasis on performance information useful to violinists are presented. In addition an interview with Amram was conducted, in which his compositional style and in particular his Concerto for Violin and Orchestra was discussed. A transcript of the interview is provided in the Appendix of this document.