For the 17th time, Erkki-Sven Tüür has written an instrumental concerto, but his latest marks the first time that the soloist is a saxophone. As part of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, his Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra receives its world premiere in Kiel on July 17, when it will be performed by Asya Fateyeva and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under the baton of Kazuki Yamada.
Composed on the suggestion of Fateyeva, Tüür created a work that begins with a brief introduction in which the ascending runs of the alto saxophone immediately set the entire orchestra in motion. The composer describes the beginning of the concerto as follows: “It hangs in the air, like an unfinished sentence, like a huge question mark.” After an unique journey through the following three movements, the question finally finds a conclusive resolution in the last measures.
Following the world premiere in Kiel, co-commissioner Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra is bringing the concerto with Asya Fateyeva and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen to Stockholm on August 29 for its Swedish premiere.
For more information see Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and Berwaldhallen Stockholm.
