Aaron Jay Kernis - Musical Style

Musical Style

Kernis’s style has been described as having neo-romantic intensity with exuberant imagination. His thematic material tends to keep audiences engaged while his sound palette offers them an innovative approach to orchestration. There have been many comparisons drawn to Leonard Bernstein, Gustav Mahler, and Igor Stravinksy due to their rhythmic drive and timbral exploration. His eclectic influences range from Claude Debussy to modern hip-hop music. Kernis claims that his works have been influenced by 19th century music, minimalism, and impressionism. He has said numerous times that he feels more comfortable writing beautiful music as opposed to atonal works. 100 Greatest Dance Hits features a wide range of musical styles from rock to salsa. New York Philharmonic cellist Carter Brey says that Kernis is “not afraid to take chances and that there is a lot of passion in his writing.” Music critic Benjamin Ivry feels that Kernis’s success comes from a varied, ambitious style that is enjoyable to listen to. He characterizes him as an imaginative composer who is capable of achieving any emotion.

Kernis often starts his works with a visual image or concrete idea. Lament and Prayer for Orchestra (1996) was written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Holocaust and Second Symphony (1991) was written in response to the Gulf War. His Concerto for Violin and Guitar (1997) has a jazz-like setting with Mahler-influenced lyricism. His Pulitzer Prize winning Musica Instrumentalis is based on the last movement of String Quartet No. 9 (Beethoven), which explains the sonata form and fugal writing of the work. Kernis often finds a way to blend his trademark creativity with the visual image or idea in order to create a piece that the audience can connect with emotionally. His goal for each of his compositions is to write music that moves the listener emotionally while maintaining innovation and his individual identity.