Maxwell Davies: Strathclyde Concertos Nos. 9 & 10

Featuring

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
David Nicholson
Elisabeth Dooner
Maurice Checker
Josef Pacewicz
Ruth Ellis

Alison Green
Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Did you know?

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Composer's Artistic Vision

The colors of Strathclyde Concerto No. 9 were inspired by the winter greys of Peter Maxwell Davies's Orkney home, where light is refracted and reflected from the sea.

Composer's Artistic Vision

The composer, Peter Maxwell Davies, was knighted in 1987 and appointed Master of the Queen's Music in 2004, a role in which he seeks to raise the profile of music in Great Britain.

Compositional Technique

Strathclyde Concerto No. 9 features an unusual 'concertante' lineup of six woodwind players, including piccolo, alto flute, cor anglais, E flat clarinet, bass clarinet, and contrabassoon, with string orchestra.

Composition History

The Strathclyde Concertos, including Nos. 9 and 10 on this album, were jointly commissioned by Strathclyde Regional Council and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in 1987.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Peter Maxwell Davies, the composer, lives in the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland, where he writes most of his music.

Composition History

Carolísima, a serenade for chamber orchestra, was commissioned by Danish Consul Jens Høgel as a surprise 50th birthday present for his wife, Carol.

Performer Biography

David Nicholson, the piccolo soloist, was instrumental in founding the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in 1974 and served as its principal flute until his retirement in 2000.