Double Concerto (Henze)

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Double Concerto
by Hans Werner Henze

Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F008277-0008, Koln, Schloss Bruhl, Meisterkurse Musik.jpg

The composer in 1960
Native nameDoppio concerto
Composed 1966
Performed2 December 1968 (1968-12-02): Zurich
Published Schott Music
Movements 1
Scoring
  • oboe
  • harp
  • 18 string soloists

The Double Concerto by German composer Hans Werner Henze is a double concerto for oboe and harp, better known by its original Italian title Doppio concerto. It was completed and first performed in Zurich in 1966, and published by Schott.

Hans Werner Henze 1926-2012 German composer

Hans Werner Henze was a German composer. His large oeuvre of works is extremely varied in style, having been influenced by serialism, atonality, Stravinsky, Italian music, Arabic music and jazz, as well as traditional schools of German composition. In particular, his stage works reflect "his consistent cultivation of music for the theatre throughout his life".

A double concerto refers to two distinct variations on the concerto. Most often, it refers to a concerto featuring two performers, as opposed to the usual single performer, in the solo role. These two performers' instruments may be of the same type, as in Bach's, Concerto for Two Violins, or different, as in Brahms's Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra.

Oboe musical instrument of the woodwind family

Oboes belong to the classification of double reed woodwind instruments. Oboes are usually made of wood, but there are also oboes made of synthetic materials. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A soprano oboe measures roughly 65 cm long, with metal keys, a conical bore and a flared bell. Sound is produced by blowing into the reed at a sufficient air pressure, causing it to vibrate with the air column. The distinctive tone is versatile and has been described as "bright". When the word oboe is used alone, it is generally taken to mean the treble instrument rather than other instruments of the family, such as the bass oboe, the cor anglais, or oboe d'amore

Contents

Composition

Henze's Double Concerto was commissioned by Paul Sacher and his Collegium Musicum Zürich and is dedicated to him and his wife, Maya Sacher, like Henze's Sonata per archi. It was written for oboist Heinz Holliger and his wife, harpist Ursula Holliger. [1] It was finished in 1966 and was premiered on 2 December 1966 by the Holligers as the soloists and Sacher conducting his Collegium Musicum Zürich. [2] It was eventually published by Schott Music. [2]

Paul Sacher was a Swiss conductor, patron and impresario. He founded and conducted the Basler Kammerorchester (1926–1987). He commissioned notable works of composers of the 20th century and premiered them with the chamber orchestra. While better known for his interest in new music, he was also devoted to music of baroque and classical eras; he the founded the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, institute for early music, in 1933.

The String Sonata No. 1, commonly referred to by its original Italian name Sonata per archi, is a composition for string orchestra by German composer Hans Werner Henze. It was composed between 1957 and 1958.

Heinz Holliger Swiss oboist, composer and conductor

Heinz Robert Holliger is a Swiss oboist, composer and conductor.

Structure

The concerto is in one movement which has a total duration of approximately thirty minutes. It is divided in a ternary ABA1 structure, with an additional coda based in B, which recalls the structure of Bartók's third quartet. [1] In recordings, the tracks are usually divided according to this structure:

Ternary form, sometimes called song form, is a three-part musical form consisting of an opening section (A), a following section (B) and then a repetition of the first section (A). It is usually schematized as A–B–A. Examples include the da capo aria "The trumpet shall sound" from Handel's Messiah, Chopin's Prelude in D-Flat Major and the opening chorus of Bach's St John Passion.

String Quartet No. 3 (Bartók) String Quartet by Béla Bartók

"String Quartet No. 3" by Béla Bartók was written in September 1927 in Budapest. It is one of six string quartets by Bartók.

Cadenza

In music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing virtuosic display. During this time the accompaniment will rest, or sustain a note or chord. Thus an improvised cadenza is indicated in written notation by a fermata in all parts. A cadenza usually will occur over the final or penultimate note in a piece, or over the final or penultimate note in an important subsection of a piece. It can also be found before a final coda or ritornello.

Since this is a concertante piece, it features many technical challenges, such as double harmonics, flutter-tonguings, microtone glissandi and the so-called circular breathing, a technique which was fairly recent at the time. For Henze, it is important to have a decorative contrast in instrumentation such as the harp, since "the distinctive oboe timbre can exhaust the listener if overdone". [1] The concerto is scored for the two soloists, oboe and harp, and a string section consisting of 18 soloists, eight violins, four violas, four cellos and two double basses. [2] [3]

Circular breathing Technique used by players of some wind instruments to produce a continuous tone without interruption

Circular breathing is a technique used by players of some wind instruments to produce a continuous tone without interruption. It is accomplished by breathing in through the nose while simultaneously pushing air out through the mouth using air stored in the cheeks.

Violin bowed string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths

The violin, sometimes known as a fiddle, is a wooden string instrument in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and highest-pitched instrument in the family in regular use. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino piccolo and the kit violin, but these are virtually unused. The violin typically has four strings tuned in perfect fifths, and is most commonly played by drawing a bow across its strings, though it can also be played by plucking the strings with the fingers (pizzicato) and by striking the strings with the wooden side of the bow.

Viola bowed string instrument

The viola (; Italian pronunciation: [ˈvjɔːla]) is a string instrument that is bowed or played with varying techniques. It is slightly larger than a violin and has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the violin family, between the violin (which is tuned a perfect fifth above) and the cello (which is tuned an octave below). The strings from low to high are typically tuned to C3, G3, D4, and A4.

Recordings

Deutsche Grammophon record label

Deutsche Grammophon (DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquarted in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of labels in 1999. It is the oldest surviving established record company.

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra symphony orchestra of the Netherlands, based in Amsterdam

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is a symphony orchestra in the Netherlands, based at the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw. In 1988, Queen Beatrix conferred the "Royal" title upon the orchestra. It is considered one of the world's leading orchestras.

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The Double Concerto for Oboe, Harp and Chamber Orchestra is a musical composition by the Polish composer Witold Lutosławski. It was commissioned by the conductor Paul Sacher for the oboist Heinz Holliger and harpist Ursula Holliger, Heinz's wife. The work was composed between 1979 and 1980 and was first performed by Heinz and Ursula Holliger and the Collegium Musicum Zürich under the direction of Sacher in Lucerne on August 24, 1980. The piece is dedicated to Sacher.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Walsh, Stephen (1969). Liner Notes of DG 449864.
  2. 1 2 3 "Doppio concerto". Schott Music . Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  3. ↑ Roeder, Michael Thomas (1994). A History of the Concerto. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 404. ISBN   978-0-93-134061-1 . Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "Henze: Double Concerto For Oboe, Harp And Strings; Sonata For Strings; Fantasia For Strings - Paul Sacher | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  5. ↑ "Double Concerto, for oboe, harp &… | Recording Details and Tracks". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
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