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Horn Concerto (Widmann)

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Horn Concerto
by Jörg Widmann
The composer in 2006
PeriodContemporary
GenreConcerto
Commissioned by
Composed2023–24
Published2024 (2024): Mainz
PublisherSchott Music
Duration38:00
Movements7
Premiere
Date30 May 2024 (2024-05-30)
LocationBerliner Philharmonie
ConductorSimon Rattle
Performers

Jörg Widmann's Horn Concerto was composed in 2023–24 and premiered on 30 May 2024 with soloist Stefan Dohr and the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Simon Rattle at Berliner Philharmonie. The work has enigmatic as well as humorous elements.

History

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In the 2023–24 season, Widmann was Berlin Philharmonic's Composer in Residence and made his debut conducting the orchestra.[1][2] Widmann composed a concerto during the residency for the orchestras principle horn and dedicatee Stefan Dohr.[3][4] The composer and the soloist had met with sketch material about ten times.[3] With the premiere of this work Widmann's residency with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra came to an end.[3]

The horn concerto has been commissioned by the Berlin Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic and Lucerne Symphony Orchestra.[5]

Structure

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The 7-movement horn concerto last 38 minutes.[5] The number seven has been already used by Widmann in the opera Babylon[5][6] and appears commonly in Mesopotamian tradition and theology.[7] The movement titles are evokative.[8]

  1. Traumbild (Reverie)
  2. Andantino grazioso
  3. Scherzo à la surprise
  4. Adagietto
  5. Zwischenwelt (Intermediate World)
  6. Vorahnung (Premonition)
  7. Finale

Widmann characterized the first movement Traumbild (Reverie) with "Let there be sound".[9] The second movement Andantino grazioso is based on a theme of Carl Maria von Weber's Horn Concertino.[5] Further citations in Scherzo à la surprise are Rossini, Johann Strauss I and Offenbach. The centrepiece Adagietto is reminiscent to Mahler.[8] The enigmatic Vorahnung (Premonition) lays false trails[4] and the Finale summarizes the thematic material of the preceding movements.[5] The work with humorous elements uses extended techniques.[4]

Orchestration

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  • Woodwinds: 3 Flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), 3 Oboes (3rd doubling cor anglais and cuckoo whistle), 2 Clarinets in B♭ und A (2nd doubling E♭ clarinet), Bass clarinet, 2 Bassoons, Double bassoon
  • Brass: 4 Horns in F, 3 Trumpets in C, 2 Trombone, Bass trombone, Tuba
  • Timpani
  • Percussion (3 players): I Glockenspiel, Crotales, Xylophone, Tubular bells, Triangle, Splash cymbal, Cymbal (medium), 3 Tam-tams (high/medium/low), 2 High brasilian tamborims, Snare drum, 3 Tom-toms (high/medium/low), Castanets, Flexaton, Vibraslap, Clay bird whistle. II Tubular bells, Triangle, Pair of cymbals, Splash cymbal, 3 Cymbals (high/medium/low), Sizzle cymbal, 3 Tam-tams (high/medium/low), Tamburin with jingles, Bass drum (with cymbals), Friction drum (small), Metal chimes, Maracas, Claves, 3 Wood blocks, Whistle, Whip, Flexatone, Car horns (tuned), Rainmaker (ossia: ocean drum). III Vibraphone, Triangle, Pair of cymbals, Splash cymbal, 3 Cymbals (high/medium/low), Chinese cymbal, Sizzle cymbal, 2 Tam-tams (medium/low), Thai gongs, Guiro, Ratchet, Castanets, 3 Wood blocks (on top of each other), 5 Temple blocks, Whip, Whistle, Flexatone, Vibraslap, Swanee whistle (high), Waterphone, Thunder sheet
  • Strings: 12 Violins I, 10 Violins II, 8 Violas, 6 Violoncellos, 6 Double basses (all 5 strings with B as the lowest string)
  • Harp (the lowest strings are tuned to C and D), Celesta

Premiere

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The work premiered on 30 May 2024 in Berliner Philharmonie with Simon Rattle conducting the Berlin Philharmonic and the soloist Stefan Dohr (further performances on 31 May and 1 June).[5]

Reception

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Wolfram Quellmalz from Neue (musikalische) Blätter wrote: "A little bit of circus" and "the audience had fun and applauded enthusiastically".[4] Elena Luporini from Bachtrack wrote: "The score brims with different materials, tracing not just a history of horn-playing, but a present and possibly a future."[8]

References

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  1. ^ "In Search of the Uncertain". Berliner Philharmoniker. 9 May 2023. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  2. ^ Möller, Tobias. "Surprise and freedom. An interview with Jörg Widmann". Berliner Philharmoniker. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Peter, Christopher (27 May 2024). "Berlin Philharmonic with new Horn Concerto by Joerg Widmann". Schott Music Shop. Archived from the original on 30 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Quellmalz, Wolfram (3 June 2024). "Ein bißchen Zirkus und große Sinfonik". Neue (musikalische) Blätter (in German). Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Horn Concerto". Schott Music. 30 May 2024. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Babylon". Schott Music. 27 October 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  7. ^ Akiz, Metin (17 April 2016). "The number "seven" consecrated in the beliefs and rituals of Mesopotamia, Anatolia and Central Asia". Journal of History and Future. 2 (1): 211. doi:10.21551/jhf.v2i1.5000176602. ISSN 2458-7672.
  8. ^ a b c Luporini, Elena (1 June 2024). "A tongue-in-cheek Widmann premiere in Berlin". Bachtrack (in German). Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Premiere of a horn concerto by Jörg Widmann". Berlin Philharmonic. 31 May 2024. Archived from the original on 1 June 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
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