"Constellations" Concerto for 12 String Instruments - Per Nørgård

Описание: Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra conducted by Juha Kangas.

I - Constellations. Allegro con spirito (♩. = c.70): 0:00
II - Contrasts. Andante affettuoso (♩ = c.56): 7:21
III - Alternations. Allegro vivace (𝅗𝅥. = c.84): 15:52

Nørgård's "Constellations" was composed in 1958, being commissioned by the Pro Musica String Orchestra and its conductor Lamberto Gardelli. It was premiered by said orchestra and conductor on November 1958. The composer chose to deviate from the normal division of the string orchestra into 5 groups (violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello, bass) and distribute the music for each of the 12 musicians separately.

The rich differentiation made possible by this choice is expressed in the title, which is not meant as a metaphor for the (more or less) static constellations of stars or parties, but as dynamics of a "constant inner change of relations between individual beings": motifs. This is clearly expressed from the start of the first movement: each of the motifs moves within an independent, metrical frame. For example, the first cello plays in a 14-beat metre (formed by two short tones, one long and yet another short one, followed by a long interval before the next entry, eight times in all); the second cello plays a pizzicato-motif of only three beats; furthermore, a combination of violin and bass-flute-like harmonic single tones appear after ten beats, a viola melody (the first real "melody" of chromatic nature, appearing shortly after the mentioned ones) unfolds itself in a four-beat metre, etc.

The culmination of this "constellation" start is the entry of what might be called the main theme of the first movement, a very singable diatonic melody played by several violins. A special feature combines this melody with the single tone of flute character: the final tone of each phrase is heard simultaneously with each entry of the single tone "motif" ... as if "accidentally". Altogether, this web produces a constantly changing texture of motifs in different metrical layers. It is clear that the listener is intended to perceive not these very complex relations but a shifting carpet of more or less pregnant motifs in constantly new metrical constellations. The keyword for the experience may be "interference" signifying the unrestful togetherness of several entities. Normally "interference" in a musical context refers to the simultaneous sounding of two tones close in pitch to each other, but not in total unison. In the inner ear, this "almost-identity" produces a characteristic vibration or "beat tone", known ordinarily from the piano's ill tuned double-string or triple-string choirs (the honky-tonk sound).

Picture: "Other World" (1947) by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher.

Source: The recording booklet

To check the score: https://rb.gy/1o99x