Michael Tippett, the composer, aimed to use the piano for its poetic capabilities, contrasting with many 20th-century composers who exploited it as a percussion instrument.
Compositional Technique
The Second Symphony begins with pounding low Cs, reinforced by bell-like piano tones, from which many of the Symphony's melodic and harmonic ideas grow.
Compositional Technique
The Piano Concerto features a celeste as a musical 'go-between,' acting as the piano's 'familiar' or spiritual alter-ego, similar to its role in Tippett's opera The Midsummer Marriage.
Performer Biography
Steven Osborne, the pianist, has released 33 recordings for Hyperion, earning numerous awards including two Gramophone Awards, and was awarded an OBE for his services to music.
Performer Biography
Edward Gardner, the conductor, has been Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra since 2021 and also became Music Director of the Norwegian Opera and Ballet in 2024.
Composition History
Michael Tippett conceived his Symphony No. 2 after hearing Vivaldi's music, specifically the pounding low cello and bass Cs, which inspired a new imaginative plane.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Tippett's Piano Concerto, written between 1953-55, aimed to express joy and wonder at life's beauty, offering a dream-world of hope, rather than reflecting the anxieties of its time.
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Bax: Symphony No. 2 - Winter Legends
Alexander Goehr: Piano Concerto, Op. 33 & Symphony in 1 Movement, Op. 29
Alwyn: Symphony No. 5, "Hydriotaphia" / Sinfonietta for Strings / Piano Concerto No. 2
Alwyn: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 / Overture To A Masque / Elizabethan Dances
Groven: Piano Concerto - Symphony No. 2
K. Meyer: Piano Concerto, Op. 46 & Symphony No. 6, Op. 57 "Polish"
