Old Shoe, New Shoe: Full Scores

Wolff's concerto stands apart in the orchestral repertoire because it trusts both soloists and ensemble members to think like musicians rather than merely read notes. The score's mixture of strict notation, flexible passages, and moments of complete improvisation (for the soloists only) creates genuine musical dialogue and keeps every rehearsal and performance alive. Conductors and musicians consistently report that working with Wolff's scores transforms how they listen to one another and approach ensemble balance and phrasing.

Old Shoe, New Shoe evokes the visual and spatial energy of a Guston canvas: colors and forms layering, overlapping, and emerging from dense passages. The music moves between moments of crystalline precision and painterly freedom, creating a sense that both soloists and orchestra are discovering the score together in real time. The two percussion voices dialogue with the orchestra like figures in conversation within a carefully constructed but emotionally open space.

This score serves conductors and orchestras with experience in twentieth-century and contemporary music who are ready to move beyond traditional notation practices. It works best with ensembles that value collaborative interpretation and have percussionists confident enough to navigate both strict passages and improvised moments. The 30-minute duration and commission history (BBC Radio 3) signal a work designed for concert programming at the highest levels.

• Establish clear communication between the two soloists before rehearsals begin. Wolff's freedom is not chaos; it requires trust and mutual listening. Percussionists should agree on signals, tempo flexibility, and how they'll navigate the score's optional passages together.
• Read the performance notes thoroughly and discuss them with your ensemble before starting. The orchestra makes specific decisions about durations and sequencing of notes, which means sections need to understand their interpretive role and how their choices affect the soloists.
• Use the premiere recording (BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Ilan Volkov, with Joey Baron and Robyn Schulkowsky) as a reference, but treat it as one valid interpretation, not the definitive one. Wolff's notation invites multiple readings; exploring your own ensemble's approach deepens musical engagement.
• Allocate extra rehearsal time for the passages where performers have flexibility. Spend time experimenting with different timings and note sequences so that choices feel intentional rather than uncertain.

Program this concerto as a centerpiece work for a contemporary music concert, ideally pairing it with other pieces that explore notation and performer choice. Its 30-minute span makes it substantial enough to stand as the main event or anchor a program of shorter twentieth-century works. The commission by BBC Radio 3 and premiere by a major national broadcaster position it as a signature work for orchestras seeking to demonstrate artistic ambition and engagement with living compositional practice.

• Reading and interpreting graphic and flexible notation
• Listening and responding to ensemble members during passages with performer-controlled durations
• Balancing precision in strictly notated sections with artistic freedom in open passages
• Understanding indeterminacy and its role in twentieth-century and contemporary composition
• Collaborative decision-making about tempo, texture, and note sequencing within a structured framework