Concerto for Two Violoncelli and Orchestra
by Kalevi Aho
Description
Kalevi Aho has written for the cello in many chamber music works (quintets and quartets) as well as solo pieces including Prelude, Toccata and Postlude, written in 1974, a very virtuoso work for cello and piano. In 1983-84 he composed his Cello Concerto, having first bought a cello and studied it!
The Double Cello Concerto was a commission of the BBC for the Manchester Cello Festival 2004. The wish of the festival was that piece is not long, and this had an decisive influence on the nature of the concerto. Firstly the musical language of the concerto and the using of the solo instruments had to be very compact and concentrated. The cello is used in the concerto mostly as a singing melody instrument, which has also its great virtuosic possibilities. Secondly the piece could not be rhytmically too complex, so that the orhcestra, which has to play in the opening concert a long and difficult programme, could learn the premiere work in a short time.
The Double Cello Concerto was written during the summer of 2003. The piece comprises one long movement, in which there are some different (but not too many) contrasting musical characters. The tempo is mostly very fast and the solo writing virtuosic. The piece is very virtuosic for the orchestra, too. There are also two cantabile, slow sections and a cadenza, where both soloists play with glowing intensity. Both solo parts are all the time contrapunctally intertwined and equally difficult.
Instrumentation 3333 3221 11 1, str, 2vlc solo [pic, afl, ehn, bcl, cbsn]
Instrument codes
Abbreviation | Instrument |
Woodwind | |
acl | alto clarinet |
afl | alto flute |
arec | alto recorder |
asax | alto saxophone |
barsax | baritone saxophone |
barhn | baritone horn |
bcl | bass clarinet |
bfl | bass flute |
bob | bass oboe |
bsax | bass saxophone |
bsn | bassoon |
cbsn | contrabassoon |
cl | clarinet |
ehn | English horn |
fl | flute |
hn | French horn |
ob | oboe |
pic | piccolo |
rec | recorder |
sax | saxophone |
srec | soprano recorder |
ssax | soprano saxophone |
trec | tenor recorder |
tsax | tenor saxophone |
Brass | |
ahn | alto horn |
atrb | altotrombone |
barhn | baritone horn |
btrb | bass trombone |
cornet | cornet |
euph | euphonium |
fhn | flugelhorn |
hn | French horn |
tba | tuuba |
thn | tenor horn |
trb | trombone |
trp | trumpet |
Percussion | |
dr | drums |
glock | glockenspiel |
mar | marimba |
perc | percussion |
timp | timpani |
vibr | vibraphone |
xyl | xylophone |
Strings | |
db | double bass |
gamba | viola da gamba |
str | strings |
vla | viola |
vlc | cello |
vln | violin |
Other | |
acc | accordion |
cel | celesta |
cemb | harpsichord |
chords | chords |
elbas | electric bass |
elg | electric guitar |
elorg | electric organ |
elpno | electric piano |
guit | guitar |
harm | harmonium |
hca | harmonica |
hp | harp |
instr | instrument |
kantele | kantele |
keyb | keyboard |
live electr | live electronics |
mand | mandolin |
mel | melody |
org | organ |
pno | piano |
synth | synthesizer |
tape | tape |
Vocal | |
alto | alto |
baryt | baritone |
basso | bass voice |
ch | choir |
chc | childrens choir |
chf | female choir |
chm | male choir |
chx | mixed choir |
cten | countertenor |
mezzo | mezzo-soprano |
sopr | soprano |
speaker | speaker |
ten | tenor |
voc | vocal |
Coding for instrument ensembles and orchestras
Symphony orchestra | |
2222 4331 11 1, str = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, one other percussionist, harp and strings |
Wind band | |
2252 3 423 21212 3 = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 5 clarinets, 2 bassoons - 3 saxophones - 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones - 2 cornets, alto horn, 2 tenor horns, baritone horn, 2 tubas - 3 percussionists |
Big band | |
221 4 4, pno, guit, db, dr = 2 alto saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, guitar, double bass, drums |
Additional codes | |
+ | fl+pic = flutist doubles on piccolo |
/ | pno/org = can be played on either piano or organ |
lib | ad libitum |
obl | obligato |
str | str: 65432 = specified number of string players |
str min | str min: 65432 = at least 65432 |
str max | str max: 65432 = not more than 65432 |
solo | vln solo = violin is the solo instrument in a work not obviously for solo violin |
Category Works for Soloist(s) and Orchestra
Premiere
Frans Helmerson, Jan-Erik Gustafsson, BBC Philharmonic, cond. Rumon Gamba, Manchester International Cello Festival, May 5, 2004
Commisioned by / dedications Commissioned by the BBC
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