Concerto

A three movement solo concerto; that seems quite traditional. There are, however, also more uncommon aspects here. The entire concerto is based on a 14-note mode spread over three octaves, all the 12 tempered notes and two untempered ones. This gives room for traditional 12-note harmony as well as one based on harmonic spectra, including gradual transitions between them.
A central concept of the first movement is the tension between the static and the dynamic, the latter represented by melodic movement and repeated fast figures.
The second movement is the piece’s principal melodic reservoir. Material from this movement recurs in more fragmentary form in the outer movements. The pattern of tension and density in the third movement mirrors the entire concerto, including the third movement itself. Chord attacks are important in this movement, towards the end giving way to a sound field formed by harmonics glissandi in the solo and the dark strings of the orchestra.
The orchestral parts must be ordered from the National Library of Norway Sheet Music.

Recording: Øystein Birkeland and Oslo Philharmonic orchestra, cond.: Michel Swierczewski, Aurora ACD 4978, available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.