Adam Schoenberg: Finding Rothko - Chamber Orchestra Composition

Product Information

• UPC/Item Number: RICL00023700
• ISMN: 9790570028894 / 979-0570028931
• Product Type: Musical Score
• Genre: Contemporary Classical Music
• Instrumentation: Chamber Orchestra
• Composition Year: 2006
• Difficulty Level: Grade 3
• Publisher: Ricordi

Overview

Finding Rothko is a groundbreaking chamber orchestra composition by American composer Adam Schoenberg that pays tribute to the profound and transcendent work of iconic abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko. Commissioned by the IRIS Orchestra under the direction of conductor Michael Stern, the piece marks a significant milestone in Schoenberg’s career, as it represents his first professional commission. At the time of its creation, Schoenberg was just beginning his doctoral studies at the Juilliard School, making the composition not only a personal artistic breakthrough but also a bold entrance onto the national stage of contemporary American music. Inspired directly by Schoenberg’s experience with Rothko’s work during a visit to the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Finding Rothko seeks to translate the emotional depth, color saturation, and spiritual resonance of Rothko’s paintings into a vivid musical language. The work is structured in four movements, each named after a color associated with one of Rothko’s paintings: “Orange,” “Yellow,” “Red,” and “Wine.” Rather than attempting a literal translation of visual art into music, Schoenberg instead evokes the emotional and psychological responses triggered by Rothko’s canvases, creating a sonic landscape that mirrors the painter’s use of color fields to evoke contemplation, introspection, and transcendence.

The music of Finding Rothko is characterized by its rich harmonic language, shimmering textures, and a strong sense of atmosphere. Schoenberg employs a chamber orchestra to its fullest expressive potential, drawing upon a palette of instrumental colors that echo the vibrancy and subtle layering of Rothko’s paintings. Each movement functions as a meditation on its respective color, unfolding slowly and organically, with a sensitivity to form and pacing that reflects Rothko’s minimalist yet deeply emotional style. The orchestration is both lush and transparent, allowing for moments of stillness, tension, and release that mirror the viewer’s experience in front of a Rothko canvas. What makes Finding Rothko particularly compelling is its ability to bridge visual and musical arts, inviting listeners into a space where time seems suspended and perception becomes heightened. The piece does not rely on traditional narrative structures but instead offers a series of emotional impressions and sonic environments. This approach aligns with Rothko’s own philosophy of art as a vehicle for universal, spiritual experience—a concept that Schoenberg explores through carefully sculpted musical gestures, dynamic shaping, and subtle shifts in texture and tonality.

Product Features

• Format: Full Musical Score
• Instrumentation: Chamber Orchestra
• Difficulty Level: Grade 3 (Intermediate)
• Composition Context: First professional commission
• Artistic Inspiration: Mark Rothko's abstract paintings

Interesting Facts

• Artistic Inspiration: The composition celebrates Rothko's abstract works, particularly his distinctive rectangles set within colored fields
• Premiere Performance: First performed by IRIS Orchestra on January 13, 2007 Compositional Significance: Represents Schoenberg's transition from student to professional composer
• Additional Adaptation: Transcribed for wind ensemble by Lance Sample in 2017

Publishers

Published by Ricordi, a prestigious international music publishing house known for supporting contemporary classical music.

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