Wed, Jul 2, 2025
Out now on Apple Music: three special digital releases. Our orchestra plays music by Shostakovich and Loevendie, plus Morricone’s trumpet concerto UT, performed by Omar Tomasoni. Available on Spotify at a later date.
Theo Loevendie and the power of Turkish poetry
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Bas Wiegers, performs Theo Loevendie’s Flexio and Six Turkish Folk Poems in recordings from 13 October 2023. Flexio (1979), originally commissioned by the orchestra, is an exciting and sometimes dreamy orchestral work. Loevendie’s famous song cycle Six Turkish Folk Poems (1977), merging atmospheric and sensuous Western contemporary music with simple Turkish folk poetry, features mezzo-soprano Polly Leech. Its brand new orchestration, an alternative to the original chamber version, was commissioned by the orchestra and created by Loevendie with assistance from his former pupil Wilbert Bulsink.
Available on other streaming services from 4 July
Moving symphony by Shostakovich
Dmitry Shostakovich’s Fifteenth is perhaps the most enigmatic symphony of the twentieth century. In this work, the composer goes in search of his (and our) relationship with the musical past. He quotes musical predecessors like Rossini and Wagner, in addition to himself. These quotations raise profound musical and philosophical questions: where does it all come from, how far have we come, and where does it all go? The bare, withering ending is one of the most poignant passages in the symphonic repertoire, which Shostakovich, then a sixty-five-year-old heart patient, composed knowing the end was nigh.
Available on other streaming services from 18 July
Omar Tomasoni plays Morricone
Most people know Ennio Morricone for his iconic film scores for epic westerns. Less well known is that Morricone was also a trumpet player, and as a composer had over a hundred compositions for the concert platform to his name. His trumpet concerto UT was written in 1991 for Mauro Maur, a trumpet player and composer like Morricone. It is a dynamic and evocative work that blends avant-garde techniques with lyrical expressiveness, showcasing the trumpet’s full range through bold and dramatic contrasts. The Concertgebouw Orchestra’s principal trumpet player Omar Tomasoni is the soloist in this live recording of UT. The famous theme from the 1964 movie A Fistful of Dollars forms the encore to this rare treat.
Available on other streaming services from 5 September