Just in: Max bounces back with 10th symphony
mainIt has been a rotten year, one way or other, for the Master of the Queen’s Musick, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
His ex-partner, Colin Parkinson, was found dead in July after an acrimonious break-up and Max himself underwent arduous treatment for leukemia.
But that was this year.
Next year, his 80th, looks a whole lot better with the world premiere of his 10th symphony, conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano. See announcement below.
LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA GIVES THE WORLD PREMIERE OF
SIR PETER MAXWELL DAVIES’ 10TH SYMPHONY, AT THE
CENTRE OF A FOCUS ON NEW MUSIC
11 January – 23 February 2014
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies Symphony No 10
The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano, will give the world premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Symphony No 10, a work for chorus and orchestra, on Sunday 2 February. The performance forms the centrepiece of a focus on new music with the LSO in January and February. The new work, commissioned by the LSO for the composer’s 80th Birthday in 2014, is performed alongside Elgar’s In the South and Britten’s Violin Concerto, with soloist Maxim Vengerov.
Before the concert on 2 February there is an LSO Discovery Day focusing on Sir Peter Maxwell Davies from 10am–5.30pm, including access to the morning rehearsal of the new Symphony with Sir Antonio Pappano, a talk on the composer from a guest speaker and chamber music performed by LSO players.
In addition Maxwell Davies’ Fanfare: Her Majesty’s Welcome is performed by the LSO and LSO On Track on Thursday 30 January, also conducted by Pappano. The work was commissioned by the LSO for the Queen’s Medal for Music concert in December 2012, which was attended by HM The Queen. Completing the programme are Brahms’ Violin Concerto with soloist Janine Jansen and Walton’s Symphony No 1.
It’s great to hear that he has at last completed this piece. Also great to see the “old guard” still writing proper music with proper titles, and put on in proper concerts by proper orchestras despite all the current UK guff and claptrap about “emerging” composers and indecipherable titles and “groundbreaking” new performance locations such as car parks.
This concert sounds like an absolute blinder and I’d venture to suggest that it would do a whole lot more to inspire the public and the next generation than at least half of what goes on in the London contemporary music scene these days!
Right, there’s that axe ground. Now let’s buy some tickets (if there are any left).
P.S. It says on the LSO website that Vengerov was originally booked to play the Elgar concerto. I think it’s a much better choice to do an Elgar overture and then the Britten concerto… and this was apparently “at the request of the soloist”!
Thoroughly enjoyed ‘wrestling’ with the challenging first trumpet part at the premiere of his ninth symphony! Good luck to him. Great composer and nice fella…
Bravo for the comments.