Richard Rodney Bennett: Orchestral Works Vol. 5

Featuring

Jonathan Aasgaard
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
John Wilson Orchestra
Richard Rodney Bennett

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Composition History

The Concerto for Orchestra was commissioned by the Denver branch of the English Speaking Union, but was instigated by Brian Priestman, the British chief conductor of the Denver Symphony Orchestra, who wanted to display the modern orchestra as a virtuoso body.

Composition History

Diversions was commissioned by the Haberdashers' Aske's Schools in north London for their tercentenary in 1990 and was scored for a Beethoven-sized chamber orchestra with added percussion and piano, reflecting Bennett's experience writing for school ensembles since age nine.

Composer Biography

Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (1936-2012) was a versatile English composer who moved between classical, film, and jazz worlds, writing film scores like "Murder on the Orient Express" and performing as a jazz pianist.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Bennett believed music's purpose was to be performed, heard, and affect listeners, and he was encouraged to write for available ensembles rather than abstract 'Symphony Number One' projects.

Composition History

Bennett's Sonnets to Orpheus, a cello concerto, was commissioned by the 1979 Edinburgh International Festival and was begun in New York in December 1978, coinciding with a significant turning point in his personal life.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Bennett dedicated the score of Sonnets to Orpheus to his long-term partner, Dan Klein, and the work was seen as a conscious response to his personal circumstances and a 'leave-taking' as he moved to the USA.

Compositional Technique

Diversions is an exuberantly colourful set of symphonic variations based on the Scottish folksong 'Whistle and I'll come to you, my lad', incorporating two interludes based on other folksongs: 'In yon garden' and 'My love's in Germanie'.