NPR posts the New York premiere of Jonny Greenwood's Doghouse

NPR Music has put online the recording of Jonny Greenwood's “Doghouse” from its first American performance, at the New York Society for Ethical Culture on Friday 20 May. The piece, for string trio and orchestra and nearly 30 minutes long, was played again on Saturday in the Wordless Music series, and the Friday concert went out live on Q2, WQXR's new-music stream.

Nonesuch, his label, calls “Doghouse” the longest orchestral piece Greenwood has written. The BBC Concert Orchestra first played it in February 2010 under Robert Ziegler, during Greenwood's residency with the orchestra, and Greenwood has since reused its music in his score for Tran Anh Hung's film of Norwegian Wood.

Ligeti's Chamber Concerto, played by Ensemble Signal, came just before “Doghouse” as a lead-in, chosen because Ligeti is one of Greenwood's favourite composers. Brad Lubman then conducted Signal and the Wordless Music Orchestra in “Doghouse”, with Courtney Orlando on violin, John Richards on viola and Lauren Radnofsky on cello as the trio. Philip Glass's Symphony No. 4, “Heroes”, had its first New York performances on the same programme.

Allan Kozinn, reviewing the concert for The New York Times, found the piece consistently engaging, and credited its insistent drive and Greenwood's feel for dissonance and its resolution. NPR's Anastasia Tsioulcas found a dark, thrilling tension in it.