# Ensemble works for virtuoso solo instrumentalists?



## Sina (Aug 3, 2012)

György Ligeti writes on his Chamber Concerto for 13 instrumentalists (1969/70): "This four movement piece is a concerto inasmuch as all thirteen players are virtuoso soloists and are all treated as equals. In other words, we are not dealing with the usual type of concerto in which soli and tutti alternate but with a piece for thirteen concertante soloists."

Other examples I can come up with are Alban Berg's Chamber Concerto for piano and violin with 13 wind instruments (1923/25), Anton Webern's Concerto for Nine Instruments (1934), Brian Ferneyhough's concerto for ensemble Chronos-Aion (2007/08), and Rebecca Saunders' Stasis for 16 soloists in several spaces (2011).

Other works of such you know?


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Schoenberg's Chamber Symphony (the second one added a larger complement of strings)? Berg's Chamber Concerto was modeled on it.


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## Sina (Aug 3, 2012)

Mahlerian said:


> Schoenberg's Chamber Symphony (the second one added a larger complement of strings)? Berg's Chamber Concerto was modeled on it.


Yeah but Schoenberg's (both the 1st and the 2nd) have some instruments doubled. And how about newer works?


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Sina said:


> Yeah but Schoenberg's (both the 1st and the 2nd) have some instruments doubled. And how about newer works?


No, the original version of the First is for 15 solo instruments alone. Any doublings are incidental rather than whole part doublings.

As for newer works, look for pieces commissioned by groups like Ensemble intercontemporain.


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## Sina (Aug 3, 2012)

Mahlerian said:


> No, the original version of the First is for 15 solo instruments alone. Any doublings are incidental rather than whole part doublings.


It _is_ for 15 solo instruments, but as Robert Craft points out* "his fifteen instruments never play "one on one". In full ensemble episodes they are carefully doubled, which was the composer's chief means of obtaining balanced volumes, as well as differentiations of colour."

*http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurb...letype=About this Recording&language=English#


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Sina said:


> It _is_ for 15 solo instruments, but as Robert Craft points out* "his fifteen instruments never play "one on one". In full ensemble episodes they are carefully doubled, which was the composer's chief means of obtaining balanced volumes, as well as differentiations of colour."
> 
> *http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurb...letype=About this Recording&language=English#


And how is this any different from the way ensembles are used in the other pieces mentioned? The work is still for a group of soloists none of whom is subordinate to the others.


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## Sina (Aug 3, 2012)

Mahlerian said:


> And how is this any different from the way ensembles are used in the other pieces mentioned? The work is still for a group of soloists none of whom is subordinate to the others.


I might be wrong but I find it completely different from the view I quoted from Ligeti. He goes on "the voices always develop simultaneously, but in varying rhythmic configurations and generally at different speeds". Given that and the former passage, I find Berg's and Webern's more relevant than Schoenberg's; I might be wrong though.


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## Guest (Nov 13, 2015)

I don't know just how difficult it is... but Georges Aperghis' _Situations_ is scored similarly to the others in that it is scored for a large number of independent soloists... Whether it means the criteria or not, it's a great piece of music.


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## Sina (Aug 3, 2012)

nathanb said:


> I don't know just how difficult it is... but Georges Aperghis' _Situations_ is scored similarly to the others in that it is scored for a large number of independent soloists... Whether it means the criteria or not, it's a great piece of music.


Has it been issued on CD?

Edit: Found it! God save Donaueschinger Musiktage and Neos!


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## Guest (Nov 13, 2015)

Sina said:


> Has it been issued on CD?
> 
> Edit: Found it! God save Donaueschinger Musiktage and Neos!


The 2013 box is absolutely incredible. I can't wait for my 2014 box to arrive


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