Dispelling the Fears

The concerto has a total duration of twenty minutes with no movement indications. It is scored for two solo trumpets in C, two flutes, two alto flutes, two oboes, two cor anglais, two clarinets in B-flat, two bass clarinets, two bassoons, two contrabassoons, two soprano saxophones, two horns in F, two trombones, a euphonium, a tuba, a large percussion player for only two percussionists (featuring a large bass drum, a tabla, a large suspended cymbal, a large tam-tam, four low gongs, Japanese temple bells, a vibraphone, a glockenspiel, crotales, tubular bells, bell plates, two bongos, a djembe, and a large lion's roar), a harp, a piano, a celesta, and a string section, consisting of eight first violins, eight second violins, six violas, six cellos, and four double basses.^[1]

Despite it being a double concerto, according to musicologist Nigel Simeone, Turnage uses "sombre and sinister colours" and the solo parts seem conceived "for a single instrument with two distinctive personalities". Upon this, Turnage also stated that he was "interested in the physical quality of the music: not just the sound, but the effect it has. There is a visceral quality in the music I like... There is something you can really grab hold of, something almost physical that you can touch."^[4]

Despite having generally been met with enthusiasm by critics, this composition has not been performed or recorded very frequently. The authoritative version was recorded by the musicians who premiered it on February 4, 1996, at Henry Wood Hall, London, being released later that year by Decca.^[5] The abridged version used for Blood on the Floor has also been recorded once by trumpet players William Forman and Bruce Nockles, with the Ensemble Modern conducted by Peter Rundel. That recording was released in 1997 by Decca and Argo.^[6]