Composer

:

Richard Ayres

Genre

:

Concerto

Style

:

Concerto

Compose Date

:

2002

Movement_count

:

13

Movement ....

No. 36, NONcerto is a contemporary classical composition by British composer Richard Ayres. It was composed in 2016 and premiered on March 17, 2017, by the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Centre in London. The piece is divided into three movements, each with its own distinct character and instrumentation. The first movement, titled "The Garden," features a solo violin accompanied by a small ensemble of winds and percussion. The music is playful and whimsical, with the violin darting in and out of the texture like a mischievous sprite. The second movement, "The House," is more introspective and atmospheric. It begins with a haunting melody played by the solo cello, which is gradually joined by the rest of the orchestra. The music builds to a climax before subsiding into a quiet, eerie coda. The final movement, "The Street," is the most energetic and rhythmically complex of the three. It features a driving ostinato in the percussion and winds, over which the strings and brass play a series of angular, syncopated melodies. The music is frenetic and chaotic, evoking the hustle and bustle of a busy city street. Overall, NONcerto is a highly original and inventive work that defies easy categorization. Ayres draws on a wide range of musical influences, from classical to jazz to pop, and blends them together in a way that is both playful and sophisticated. The result is a piece that is both challenging and accessible, and that rewards repeated listening with new discoveries and insights.

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