recordings
The Concerto Project Vol. IV
2011
Music by Philip Glass

Catalog

Orange Mountain Music OMM0077

Tracks

Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra
1. Duet No.1 2:52
2. Part 1 5:34
3. Duet No.2 3:14
4. Part 2 8:47
5. Duet No.3 2:01
6. Part 3 4:59
7. Duet No.4 4:05

Tirol Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
8. Movement I 6:02
9. Movement II 16:31
10. Movement III

Notes

Philip Glass’s Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra was composed in the spring of 2010 as a commission from the Netherlands Dance Theater, premiered by the Hague Philharmonic (Residentie Orkest) conducted by Jurjen Hempel on April 22, 2010 with violinist Cecilia Bernardini and cellist Maarte-Maria den Herder. The music was composed as original score for the ballet Swan Song by choreographers Sol Léon and Paul Lightfoot.

The original commission was simply for an orchestral work from Glass. However the composer had wanted to compose a double concerto for violin and cello for quite some time and this provided the perfect occasion to realize the piece. Glass felt that the solo instruments would make perfect dramatic analogs to the lead dancers on stage. The dance world has long been a birthplace for concert works (including Glass’s own Heroes Symphony) and NDT with the choreographers graciously embraced this idea and the ballet was premiered and taken on tour an extensive tour through Holland in the spring of 2010 with soloists who premiered the work as well as soloists whom Glass recommended to the theater: Tim Fain, Maria Bachmann, and Wendy Sutter. The NDT continues to perform and tour this work as Swan Song. A special thanks goes to Alexandra Scott whose patience and professionalism was crucial in bringing this project together despite great obstacles (including a volcano eruption which disrupted travel plans!) and saved the day at many points along the way.

The Tirol Concerto for Piano and Orchestra was commissioned by the Festival Klangspuren with support of Tirol Tourist Board and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra. The piece has its premiere on September 22, 2000 by Dennis Russell Davies and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra at the Tirol Festival Klangspuren in Jenbach Austria. Dennis Russell Davies, after asking Glass for a piece which Davies could conduct from the keyboard, championed the work with extensive touring of the piece in the USA and Europe and continues to do so having recently performed the work with the Basel Symphony Orchestra where he is Music Director. While staying in the Tirol, Glass studied sound documents and sheet music of Tirolese folk-music. In the Tirol Concerto he used original folk-music source material directly for the first time in his music.
— Richard Guérin, 2011

Cast

Double Concerto for Violin, Cello & Orchestra
Tim Fain, violin
Wendy Sutter, cello
Jurjen Hempel, conductor
Residentie Orkest/The Hague Philharmonic
Netherlands Dance Theater

Tirol Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
Dennis Russell Davies, piano and conductor
Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra

Credits

Double Concerto (2010)
Recording Produced by Michael Riesman
Engineer Wim van den Berg
Recording Equipment provided by Dutchview
Recorded at the Dr. Anton Philipszaal, The Hague

Tim Fain performs on a violin made by Francesco Gobetti, Venice 1717, the “Moller” on extended loan from Clement and Karen Arrison through the generous efforts of the Stradivari Society of Chicago.

Tirol Concerto (2000)
Recorded at Mozartsaal, Liederhalle, Stuttgart
November 1-2, 2002
Engineer: Peter Laenger, Tritonus Musikproduktion GmbH
Mixed at the Looking Glass Studios, New York, November 7-8, 2002
Engineer: Hector Castillo

Photo Credits:
Netherlands Dance Theater Photos: Rahi Rezvani
Residentie Orkest/Hague Philharmonic: Janiek Dam
Jurjen Hempel: Marco Borggreve
Tim Fain: Briana Blasko
Wendy Sutter: Bill Bernstein
Dennis Russell Davies: Reinhard Winkler

Album produced by Don Christensen and Richard Guérin

Executive Producers for Orange Mountain Music: Philip Glass and Kurt Munkacsi and Don Christensen

Cover Photo: “Evening/North Umberland Strait XI” by Lynn Davis

Design: Lissi Sigillo

OMM Special Liaison: Garry Roemer

Associate Director of Orange Mountain Music: Richard Guérin

Special Thanks: Alexandra Scott, Paul Lightfoot, Sol Léon, Ronald Vermeulen, Jim Vincent, Gerlinde Rettenberger

Buy

Related