Skalkottas: Two Concertos

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Skalkottas’s scoring – needing far more players than the 10 required in his Third Piano Concerto (BIS, 3/05; Paladino, 5/20) – is miraculously clear, but required Brabbins and the London Philharmonic’s... — Gramophone Magazine, July 2023 More…

Release Date: 7th Apr 2023
Catalogue No: BIS2554
Label: BIS
Length: 57 minutes

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Skalkottas: Concerto for violin & orchestra

Work length28:54

$5.05

$7.65

George Zacharias, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

I. Molto appassionato

Track length11:28

$2.05

$3.05

Ii. Andante spirito

Track length9:27

$1.50

$2.30

Iii. Allegro vivo vivacissimo - Prestissimo

Track length7:59

$1.50

$2.30

Skalkottas: Concerto for Violin, Viola and Wind Orchestra

Work length28:41

$5.05

$7.65

George Zacharias, Alexandros Koustas, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins

I. Allegro

Track length12:11

$2.05

$3.05

Ii. Andantino

Track length8:53

$1.50

$2.30

Iii. Allegro vivo

Track length7:37

$1.50

$2.30

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"The fact that Nikos Skalkottas was one of Schoenberg’s elite composition students obscures the fact that he began his career as a violinist of concert-artist level. The two concertos gathered here highlight this violinist/composer duality. The programme features the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra performed from the new critical edition, as well as the world première recording of the Concerto for violin, viola and wind orchestra. This performance is based on the first, critical edition of the work, prepared by violinist George Zacharias, who also appears here as the soloist in both works. Both concertos were composed in the late 1930s, a critical period in the life of the composer who, owing to the political situation, was unable to stay in Germany and had to return to his Athenian home. There, Skalkottas continued to work on his compositional language, resulting in an idiosyncratic system described as ‘fractal serialism’. Despite its complexity, the music also presents tonal references, a classical structure and even echoes of military bands and jazz, an allusion no doubt to the occupation forces and music banned by the authorities. George Zacharias, with violist Alexandros Koustas, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Martyn Brabbins bring us two mature works by the Greek modernist."

Reviews

July 2023

Skalkottas’s scoring – needing far more players than the 10 required in his Third Piano Concerto (BIS, 3/05; Paladino, 5/20) – is miraculously clear, but required Brabbins and the London Philharmonic’s woodwinds and brass to be on top form; they are and never overwhelm the soloists

13th April 2023

The violin soloist is George Zacharias, whose belief in this hugely demanding music runs through every bar of his performance with Martyn Brabbins and the London Philharmonic.

Skalkottas: Two Concertos

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