James MacMillan: new Concerto for Orchestra unveiled
The London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antonio Pappano opens its season on 11 September with the world premiere of James MacMillan’s ghostly new Concerto for Orchestra, with the work travelling on for performances in Sweden, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the USA.
James MacMillan’s new Concerto for Orchestra launches the London Symphony Orchestra’s 2024/25 season at the Barbican in London. The premiere on 11 September is under the baton of Antonio Pappano, the orchestra’s Chief Conductor in his first concert in the new role. Though MacMillan has composed many concertos including acclaimed works for percussion, piano, violin, trumpet, trombone and organ, this is his first concerto for the full orchestra, exploring a constellation of solos and instrumental groupings within the tutti.
The composer describes how the 25-minute score “is in one continuous, through-composed movement. It has a subtitle - Ghosts - as the music seems to be haunted by other, earlier musical spirits and memories. Right from the start of the opening section we can hear allusions to folk-dance forms, an eastern European hymn and Scottish traditional music.”
“Various chamber groups emerge from within the orchestral fabric and there is much deliberate focus on soloistic playing throughout. Duets and trios are important - the work opens with an eleven-note theme being thrown between two trombones, and later there are other duos for clarinets, piccolo and tuba, and two violas. Trios are also prominent - three bassoons at one point, as well as a quotation from Beethoven’s Ghost Trio (which gives this work its subtitle), and allusions to the famous Debussy trio of flute, viola and harp. Also in the spotlight at various points is a string quartet, a wind quintet and a brass sextet.”
The London Symphony Orchestra has enjoyed a close working relationship with James MacMillan stretching forwards from its programming of his Triduum of orchestral works when the young composer first exploded onto the musical scene during the 1990s. This was followed by many commissioned works including St John Passion and All the Hills and Vales Along, with a panoply of distinguished conductors at the helm of the LSO including Mstislav Rostropovich, Colin Davis, Valery Gergiev, Gianandrea Noseda and now Antonio Pappano.
The Concerto for Orchestra was commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Following the premiere in London, the Concerto for Orchestra is the highlight at a major four-concert focus on MacMillan between 14 and 17 November at the Konserthuset in Stockholm, with Ryan Bancroft conducting the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. The composer himself is on the rostrum in his native Scotland for performances in Glasgow and Perth on 20/21 February with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
As well as the Stockholm festival, MacMillan highlights this season include the Hungarian premiere of his powerful Christmas Oratorio in Budapest in December and the London premiere of Violin Concerto No.2 with Nicola Benedetti and the LSO next April. The composer’s Cumnock Tryst festival celebrates its tenth anniversary in early October in his beloved Ayrshire, including MacMillan’s Resurrection setting Since it was the day of Preparation and his Armistice oratorio All the Hills and Vales Along.
> Further information on Work: Concerto for Orchestra
Photo: James Bellorini