Gregory ROSE: Orchestral Music
The English composer and conductor Gregory Rose (b. 1948) here presents a programme of some of his recent orchestral compositions, prefaced by a 90th-birthday tribute to Aaron Copland. Many of these pieces show the influence of Stravinsky in their angular melodies, brittle harmony, hieratic gestures and fondness for dance. Rose’s Violin Concerto, a single span of nine interlocking episodes, has a similar sense of implicit drama: it casts the soloist as the central character whom the instruments of the orchestra engage in dialogue as the work progresses.
Peter Sheppard Skærved, violin (Tracks 7-17, 23)
Royal Ballet Sinfonia
Gregory Rose, conductor
Listen To This Recording:
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Birthday Ode for Aaron Copland (1990)
- Birthday Ode for Aaron Copland
- I Valles Marineris
- II Syrtis Major
- III Olympus Mons
- IV Sirenum Fossae
- V Ascraeus Mons
- Introduction –
- Episode 1: Calm –
- Episode 2: Fast –
- Episode 3: Fragile –
- Episode 4: Aggressive –
- Episode 5: Meditative –
- Episode 6: Agitated –
- Episode 7: Fast and Restless –
- Episode 8: Pensive –
- Episode 9: Fast and Restless –
- Cadenza and Coda
- I Prélude
- II Vite
- III Chant
- IV Très fort
- V Finale
- I Dance One
- II Dance Two
- III Dance Three
- IV Dance Four
- V Dance Five
- VI Dance Six
- VII Dance Seven
Red Planet (2014, rev. 2019)
Violin Concerto (2017)
Suite pour Cordes (2017)
Seven Dances from Danse macabre (2011)
FIRST RECORDINGS
Gramophone :
‘Although his prowess as a choral conductor has long been recognised (his performances with Singcircle of Stockhausen’s Stimmung resonate 35 years on), Gregory Rose had not received his due as a composer until the redoubtable Toccata Classics took up his cause. This third disc focuses on his orchestral output… . Anyone for whom imagination and pragmatism can coexist without compromise will find much to enjoy and intrigue here. … Sound and booklet notes leave nothing to be desired, making this an admirable follow-up to earlier Toccata releases and one that those new to Rose’s music certainly need to investigate.’
—Richard Whitehouse, Gramophone (July 2020)
MusicWeb International :
The Royal Ballet Sinfonia do the composer proud throughout while Toccata’s sound pulls no punches. […] Admirers of Toccata’s series dedicated to this composer need not hesitate; other fans of new British music will find plenty to turn their heads.’
—Richard Hanlon, MusicWeb International