Sidney Classical Orchestra - Strings & Spring Concert

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Friday, May 19th, 2017
7:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Program notes by Stephen Brown - Concerto for Two Cellos in G minor - “The Big Twin” In January, 2012 the SCO performed Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Cellos in G minor with the SCO’s cello section, Joyce Ellwood and Laura Backstrom, soloists. I was quite taken with the vigorous and lyrical sound Joyce and Laura produced and wanted to hear more of it. When we decided to do another two cello concerto in April, 2015 I discovered that there weren’t any. That year, wanting to hear Joyce and Laura play again, I arranged Handel’s Trio Sonata Two Violins and Harpsichord in G minor, Op. 2, No. 8, for Two Cellos and String Orchestra. Hmm, I thought, if I am going to get to hear Joyce and Laura again I am going to have to write a two cello concerto, and besides, seeing as there is a shortage of the darn things perhaps it might get played elsewhere.

The Big Twin is in the same key as Vivaldi’s and is sort of a companion piece. One could play both on the same program. Vivaldi’s concerto is just under 10 minutes in length and mine is double that at 20 minutes. Both have three movements, fast-slow-fast, and there are other similarities. However, The Big Twin, is much more virtuosic requiring fast runs two octaves above the open strings and triple and quadruple stops. Mvt. 1 opens with the brief orchestra introduction in a series of repeated staccato chords played Allegro mysterioso (medium fast with an aura of mystery). Then the two cellos take off, Allegro con brio (fast with life), in solo bits and bouncing over each other is a wild ride that has a Metallica Heavy Metal feel. Half way through the movement the introduction returns, and then once again the cellos take over in a sort of three stage tempo takeoff: medium - fast but not too fast - very fast. Mvt. 2 is in one tempo, Adagio (slow and lyrical).

Again the orchestra opens with an introduction, this time lyrical and sustained. The cellos then take turns soloing and playing together in canons at the intervals of a 2nd above and 2nd below, as the orchestra, Vivaldi like, lightly accompanies them in the high register. Towards the end there is a brief cadenza. Mvt. 3 opens with a similar orchestral introduction as Mvt. 1 but this time the orchestra is joined by the cellos playing an aggressive melody. And then, once again, the cellos take off, ‘soloing’ over an orchestral accompaniment. However this time it is in a rollicking jig alternating between 6/8 and 9/8 time (two and three beats in a bar) The structure of the Mvt. 3 is similar to Mvt. 1 with the introduction returning at the half way mark. Also, there is an extensive cadenza near the end, quite slow with many multiple stops (more than one string played at a time - tricky).

I dedicated The Big Twin to our two cellists, Joyce Ellwood and Laura Backstrom, who have been with the SCO for over 10 years.

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