• Erkki-Sven Tüür
  • Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 2 "Labyrinths of Life" (2023)
    (for violoncello and orchestra)

  • Henry Litolff’s Verlag GmbH & Co. KG (World)
  • 2.2.3(1/2/BCl).2 – 4.3.3.1 – Timp.3Perc.Harp – Strings
  • Cello
  • 31 min
    • 17th May 2024, Estonia Concert Hall, Tallinn, Estonia
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Programme Note

I know there is no straight road

No straight road in this world

Only a giant labyrinth

Of intersecting crossroads

 Federico Garcia Lorca

 All three movements of this concerto (Dark, Deep, Light) are performed attacca. The first movement explores the low register of cello, with the solo line moving reaching its heights alongside explosive orchestral passages.

The second movement brings the soloist to the centre of introspection with reflections of the outside world. The cadenza - which may be somewhat surprising given the percussive techniques of the cello - and the following orchestral taking over could be seen as a certain overcoming of the crisis. The last movement represents inner liberation and the sparkling joy of perceiving it. Before the end, the soundscape becomes more and more airy and ethereal. Is it the end or a new beginning? 

 

 Commissioned by Bamberger Symphoniker, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra London

 

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More Info

  • World premiere of Erkki-Sven Tüür’s Cello Concerto No. 2
    • World premiere of Erkki-Sven Tüür’s Cello Concerto No. 2
    • 28th February 2024
    • On March 8, Erkki-Sven Tüür's Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 2 “Labyrinths of Life” will be premiered in Bamberg by the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra with conductor Thomas Dausgaard and soloist Nicholas Altstaedt.