Sir Peter Maxwell Davies: "Strathclyde" Bassoon Concerto Nr. 8 (1993)

00:00 - I. Presto
12:23 - II. Andante
18:13 - III. Recit
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Bassoon: Ursula Leveaux
Conductor: Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Year of Recording: 2013
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"The Eighth Strathclyde Concerto—premièred by Ursula Leveaux (to whom it is dedicated), with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the composer, in Glasgow on 24 November 1993—has a more traditional sequence of movements and a wider range of expression. The orchestra has no oboes and only a contrabassoon, but also a prominent role for timpani.

The first movement begins with animated exchanges between the strings then the woodwind, before the soloist enters for a starkly plaintive soliloquy featuring terse contributions from other instruments and ominous gestures from timpani. The texture grows fuller as strings and woodwind variously alternate against the soloist’s evolving discourse, then pizzicato strings denote a gradual increase in tempo as the mood becomes more capricious and upper woodwind assume a greater prominence. Animated strings from the opening return, then pounding timpani presage an imaginatively scored section in which the soloist is partnered by individual strings and woodwind over a steady pizzicato tread. Strings now bring about a climax, but this proves short-lived and the soloist continues musingly with flutes towards a subdued close. The second movement starts with a laconic theme for the soloist over delicate pizzicato strings, which unfolds at length despite the occasional eruptive gesture on the strings. Eventually timpani break in to provoke a brief climax, after which the soloist proceeds to a calm pause. The finale opens with a searching cadenza that surveys the soloist’s full technical capabilities, before piccolo and pizzicato strings introduce a livelier passage which acquires a degree of momentum as the orchestra makes its presence felt, though even a forceful outburst from timpani cannot prevent the soloist’s final turning inward." (Richard Whitehouse)
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Note: The score from the thumbnail (piano reduction) is not the one used for this video. The thumbnail was chosen to make the video more accessible, as opposed to a full-length vertical page.
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Видео Sir Peter Maxwell Davies: "Strathclyde" Bassoon Concerto Nr. 8 (1993) канала Preston Atkins