Concerto for Viola (Piano Reduction)

SKU: HL.50601598

8.0x11.75 inches.

The catalogue of Edison Denisov's works includes 16 concertos. It was a genre to which he returned time and again throughout his life, from the Concerto for Cello and Orchestra of 1972 to the Double Concerto for Flute, Clarinet and Orchestra of 1996.In Denisov's music the role of the soloist, or rather the protagonist, is extraordinarily important, not so much for its virtuosity as for its confessional character. The solo part is a monologue distinguished by poetic diction and a very personal message from thecomposer. The dramaturgical conception of the Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra, a reworking of the Viola Concerto of 1986, draws on traditional sonata form, thereby reaffirming the ubiquitous classicism in Denisov's thought. In this late work, we find all the typical features of his style: sinuous melodic lines layered into dense contrapuntal textures, and an interplay of orchestral colours, with pure sonorities contrasting with complex mixtures of sounds. It is a perfect dramaturgy that governs the evolution of the music to the very end. The first movement assumes the role of a sonata-allegro, with the standard formal sections of exposition, development,recapitulation and coda. The second movement is an Adagio for strings. The third takes the form of a little contrasting intermezzo that introduces both new thematic material and a new range of colours. Here tunefulness gives way to pointillism enriched with soniceffects. The only movement with a virtuosic solo part, its nervousness and inner tension set it worlds apart from the second and fourth movements that surround it. The fourth movement assumes the traditional form of a final set of variations. It is the dramaturgical and semantic heart of the concerto. The theme of the variations is Franz Schubert's Impromptu in B-flat major, op. 142, which in this case is 'born' from the celesta as the product of a dodecaphonic string cluster. This finale represents Denisov's homage to his great mentor, Schubert's music being for him a symbol of eternal and universal beauty. 'The attentive listener', Denisov stressed, 'will recognise that the Impromptu theme is already suggested very slowly in the course of the three preceding movements, not only thematically, but also psychologically. That's what makes the appearance of the Schubert theme sound so natural.' The variations relate to the variation genre less in their form than in their spiritual and conceptual metamorphoses. It is, one might say, 'music round about Schubert'. (Ekaterina Kouprovskaia-Denisova).

SKU: BR.OB-16104-19

ISBN 9790004339435. 10 x 12.5 inches.

The publishers Henle and Breitkopf & Hartel are continuing their collaboration, now with Brahms, by publishing the performance material of the double concerto. Brahms's last work with orchestra was published in the new Brahms Complete Edition in 2002, whereby the editor was able to base himself on newly accessible sources. Of particular interest are the additional performance instructions for the solo violin and solo cello, which were gathered from the first edition of the solo parts. These indications were supplied by the soloists of the first performance, Joseph Joachim and Robert Hausmann. No doubt authorized by Brahms, they communicate valuable insights into the performance practice of the time. The new material also contains a part in which the solo violin and cello are notated one above the other. The trio edition for violin, violoncello and piano (EB 6040), which was made by Brahms himself, has proven itself for chamber performances; it continues to be available.The full score is a conductor's dream: big, bold, and beautifully laid out on glare-free bluff paper. (Strings).