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Mr. Stock composed his Violin Concerto at the request of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and its music director, Lorin Maazal, in honor of the orchestra's one hundredth anniversary. The score was finished on August 18, 1995, and performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony later that year. Mr. Maazel, no mean violinist himself, conducted the premiere, with Andrés Cárdenes taking the solo part.

Mr. Stock begins the work by setting up contrasts: contrasts between the rigorous, drum-driven march tempo and the wayward main theme introduced by high winds; and within that theme, between the sharp, attention-getting upward leap and the cantabile descent that follows it. These two motives, plus a brief rising chromatic phrase, are all the materials Mr. Stock needs to create a compelling first movement, challenging for the soloist but devoid of empty display. With Stravinsky-like clarity, the solo violin and the orchestra develop the themes in dialogue with each other.

An otherworldly blend of harp, marimba, and alto flute create an antique atmosphere in the INTERMEZZO. The soloist steals in pianissimo with a long melody, and is eventually reinforced by the orchestral first violins. Later, the solo violin gently recalls the first movement's leaping motive and develops it in dialogue with the cellos. The dynamics of this calm interlude rarely rise above piano.

Though titled PERPETUAL MOTION, the concerto's finale gains momentum gradually, like a locomotive. Sharp, staccato chords lay down a beat; then, with a chirp of oboes here and a rat-a-tat rhythm there, the machine starts to move, until the entering soloist launches a torrent of fast sixteenth notes, which surges continually back and forth between the violin and various sections of the orchestra, often with machine-gun commentary from the snare drum. Bars of 3/4 are inserted now and then in the prevailing 2/4 meter, creating a giddy, careening effect. A fortissimo climax ushers in the march theme of the first movement as a respite from all the activity, but soon the machine is chugging into action again, sometimes softly, sometimes loudly, always inexorably to the last bar.

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"The ACO also gave New Yorks a real treat by presenting the local premiere of Stock's Violin Concerto. To this listener, this work, along with the Bolcom, is one of the best concertos written in the latter half of this century. Its debt to Shostakovich and Prokifiev are clear but so is Stock's individual voice. It is a compelling work, brash and brassy and melodic and warm. I found it to be consistently involving. Its writing for the violin was sophisticated and devoid of empty virtuosity. I was especially taken with the clarity of textures maintained in the soloist-tutti sections. A rich harmonic underpinning and a wide palette of timbres give it a strong foundation. To call teh first movement a march in no way captures the ominous power and intensity it opens with, followed by a dark yet soaring theme given to the soloist which is then interestingly developed by all participants. The second movement is soft and maintains a lyrical line even when angular and dissonant. The final movement, titled 'Perpetual Motion,' surges along with crashing chords and percussive thrusts, but is firmly led by the soloist who revels in the chance to display virtuosity. . . It is my fond hope that this concerto will be recorded soon; it would be a shame if it could not be heard again and by more people."
--Peter Kroll, NEW MUSIC CONNOISSEUR 6

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