Double Concerto (Lutosławski)
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The Double Concerto for Oboe, Harp and Chamber Orchestra is a musical composition by the Polish composer Witold Lutosławski. It was commissioned by the conductor Paul Sacher for the oboist Heinz Holliger and harpist Ursula Holliger, Heinz's wife. The work was composed between 1979 and 1980 and was first performed by Heinz and Ursula Holliger and the Collegium Musicum Zürich under the direction of Sacher in Lucerne on August 24, 1980. The piece is dedicated to Sacher.[1]
In the score's programme note, Lutosławski wrote that the prospect of work with the Heinz and Ursula Holliger was "a great inspiration" while working on the concerto. He added, "The music is multi-faceted and just when it seems to be saying one thing, it is saying something else at the same time – sometimes in contradiction. The titles of the movements [...] are only to be taken figuratively."[1]
The work is scored for solo oboe and harp and a reduced orchestra consisting of only two percussionists and strings. The concert has three movements:
- Rapsodico
- Dolente
- Marciale e grotesco
It has a duration of approximately 20 minutes.
