Simpson: Symphony No. 11 & Variations on a Theme by Nielsen
2/16/2024, 13 Tracks, 54:54
Featuring
Matthew Taylor
City of London Sinfonia
Robert Simpson
Did you know?
1/7
Performer Biography
Matthew Taylor, the conductor, has a special reputation for his performances of Haydn, Beethoven, and 20th-century British and Scandinavian symphonic traditions.
Compositional Technique
Robert Simpson's Symphony No. 11, like his second and seventh symphonies, is scored for a classical orchestra, including double wind, four horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings.
Performer Biography
Matthew Taylor, the conductor, studied with Leonard Bernstein at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and received special encouragement from Robert Simpson, the composer on this album.
Compositional Technique
The Nielsen theme used in Robert Simpson's Variations is a 'quadro-tonality' example, where different instruments play in their own keys simultaneously, creating an entertaining collision.
Composition History
Robert Simpson composed his Symphony No. 11 for Matthew Taylor, the conductor on this album, after hearing Taylor conduct a performance of his Symphony No. 7.
Composition History
The Variations on a theme by Nielsen were commissioned by the BBC for the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and dedicated to Ray and Rosemary Few.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Simpson aimed to create a 'luminosity of texture' in his Eleventh Symphony, similar to Sibelius's Sixth Symphony, resulting in a sense of spaciousness and eloquence.
