Description
Robin de Raaff is one of the Netherlands' leading composers of orchestral music, and this album showcases three recently commissioned works of his, played by three Dutch symphony orchestras under the eminent conductors Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Neeme Järvi and Antonello Manacorda.
Marien van Staalen on the Cello Concerto (2012-13) he performs with the Rotterdam Philharmonic: "This cello concerto is a miracle, both for the listener and for the soloist. The listener is swept along through unexplored terrain. The instrumentation stands out - even for a master like Robin. For a cello, Robin's concerto is innovative and challenging from a technical point of view. The premiere with Yannick and the orchestra was like a celebration - you can hear it. New work only reveals its secrets after a lot of listening, so it is fantastic that this recording is being made."
In the summer of 2007, Robin de Raaff wrote 'Entangled Tales' for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, but here it's played by the Residentie Orkest (The Hague Philharmonic) conducted by Neeme Järvi. The work is built up of several layers, revealing a continual variation of small elements: rhythms, brief melodies, and ever-changing sounds in the rich palette of a large symphony orchestra. He does not hesitate to use an opulent instrumentation in impressionist and expressionist styles.
The Symphony No. 3 was composed for the 125th anniversary of the Het Gelders Orkest (Arnhem Philharmonic) in 2015, a three-movement work based on the concepts of light and dark, referred to as illumination and eclipse. These words do not point to a state of being, but to motion. It is not just about states - light and dark - but also about motion: illumination and eclipse.
Personnel: Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, The Hague Philharmonic (Residentie Orkest), Het Gelders Orkest, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Neeme Järvi, Antonello Manacorda (conductor), Marien van Staalen (cello)