Soundscapes for Percussion and Orchestra (1983)

…and the earliest of them is the superb concerto for percussion and orchestra Soundscapes completed in 1983. It is laid-out in four clearly characterised movements displaying the numerous possibilities of the percussion instruments at the soloist’s disposal. The solo part is, no doubt, very virtuosic, demanding and taxing the soloist’s skills to the full, but never extravagantly so. The first movement Signals/Dialogues alternating lively solo passages and orchestral responses is followed by a spirited Dance. A beautifully atmospheric Nocturne with some vibraphone solos is capped by an animated perpetuum mobile with a central march-like crescendo which fades away and leads thus to a restatement of the opening music rushing the work to its exalted, dancing conclusion. A brilliant, superbly written work and one of the finest and most satisfying works for percussion and orchestra that I have ever heard.