# Concerti for unusual instruments



## Fsharpmajor (Dec 14, 2008)

Can you think of any? I heard this on the radio today:


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

Define unusual - many "modern" concerti feature the likes of Ondes Martenot, tape recorders, etc. In fact, this week in Montreal, there will be a "techno" concert featuring a DJ partaking in Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, alongside a full Symphony orchestra... Read (in French) http://www.cyberpresse.ca/arts/musi...resse_B13b_musique-classique_486_section_POS4

There are also a bunch of concerti for "folk instruments", paritcularly Indian and Chinese instruments.

I don't believe that I own any such concerti in my collection, quite frankly, because none have really "cranked my chain". The only possible exception is Gagnon's "Petit Concerto pour Carignan et Orchestre", featuring folk fiddler Jean Carignan alongside Mauricio Fuks. That concerto was featured in Menuhin's TV anthology "Music of Man" with Menuhin playing the Fuks "straight violin" part.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

I know a fair number of weirdo composers wrote concertos for the viola. Such a disgusting instrument.


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## beethovenian (May 2, 2011)

Timpani Concerto anyone? 


Sigh, If only Berlioz wrote one..


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## PostMinimalist (May 14, 2008)

Davey Jones.. Jolliviet (Ithink thats how you spell it)


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## PostMinimalist (May 14, 2008)

Sorry Jolivet wrote a concerto for percussion. I think Beethoven's violin concerto might pass as a timp concerto for the first 4 bars at least!


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## Fsharpmajor (Dec 14, 2008)

beethovenian said:


> Timpani Concerto anyone?
> 
> Sigh, If only Berlioz wrote one..


One of Weinberg's chamber symphonies is basically a timpani concerto. I'll check which one when I get home.

Here's part of Sean O'Boyle's concerto for didgeridoo and orchestra:


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

How about the human voice? Schnittke wrote a 'Concerto for Mixed Chorus' - although I've never heard it I can't really figure as to how a choral work can be 'concerto-ized'.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I have concertos for over 50 different concertante instruments - a running theme in my blog. They include e.g. bandoneon, alphorn, erhu, sitar, biwa, balalaika, and hardanger fiddle.


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## dmg (Sep 13, 2009)

Also, the original video: "The uploader has not made this video available in your country."


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## Trout (Apr 11, 2011)

Concerto for Pumpkin, Carrots, Onions, and vegetable orchestra


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I think Art Rock looks to be the "expert" on this around here.

As for what I have on disc, check out percussionist Evelyn Glennie if you are interested in concertos with percussion. I've also got a Naxos disc with a percussion concerto called "Aurolucent Circles" by USA composer Margaret Brouwer (haven't listened to it in ages though, so can't comment on it).

As for here in Down Under, a number of composers have written concerto-like works with the didgeridoo, the wind instrument of the native Aboriginal peoples of the Northern Territory & Central Australian deserts. Peter Sculthorpe has used this instrument quite a bit in a number of his works, but I don't think he's written an actual concerto for one? We also have a shakuhachi player here in Oz called Riley Lee, the only master here of this Japanese flute. He has played a number of orchestral & chamber works written for him by Aussie composers...



dmg said:


> Also, the original video: "The uploader has not made this video available in your country."


Same problem here.


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

Our local orchestra did this concerto by Tan Dun for Pipa and orchestra a couple years ago. It's the same soloist as in this excerpt.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

*@ waldvogel* - Yes, that pipa player in your clip rings a bell. I think she came out here recently as well (though I didn't see her play). She may well be doing a kind of world tour promoting, raising awareness of this instrument, as well as Chinese classical music in general...


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

Over the years we also got to hear Piazzola's concerto for Bandoneon and orchestra, and Jacques Hétu's Concerto for Oboe and English Horn. In this concerto, the slow movement uses the English Horn as the solo instrument, with the oboe used for the outer two movements.


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

*@SidJames* - Tan Dun attended the concert and gave a brief talk before the concert about his concerto, and about the pipa. The soloist spoke no English, but Tan Dun translated for her. Since the YouTube excerpt is from Winnipeg and I live in Windsor, it was probably all part of a grand tour of Canada.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Another one I can remember seeing in the shops (a Naxos disc, with Thomas Bloch playing) is music for *glass harmonica*. Never heard it, but I remember a Beethoven piece was on that disc (could have been an original composition or maybe an arrangment). I'm straying off the original topic of concertos, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone by now had actually written a concerto for glass harmonica as well...


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## jaimsilva (Jun 1, 2011)

*Some...*










Richard Rodney Bennett - concerto for percursion and orchestra










Druschetzky - Concerto for 6 Timpani & Orchestra
Johann Carl Christian Fischer - Symphony with 8 Obligato Timpani










Milhaud: Concerto pour marimba et vibraphone et orchestre










Panufnik: Concertino for Timpani, Percussion & Strings


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## jaimsilva (Jun 1, 2011)

*Harmonica and orchestra*










Vaughan Williams: Romance
Tausky: Harmonica Concertino
Moody: Little Suite
Jacob: 5 Pieces


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

For the harmonica, this Chandos release contains three full-blown concertos (Villa Lobos, Arnold, Spivakovsky). This was acatually my first post in my blog on unusual concertos.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I'd love to hear about real concertos (not orchestral pieces in which they are used) for the following instruments and orchestra - I don't have them:
- bagpipes
- ukelele
- bouzouki
- hawaiian guitar
- triangel
- didgeridoo
- banjo
- synthesizer


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

In December 2008, the Windsor Symphony premiered _Ruck and Rill_, a concerto for electric viola and orchestra, composed by Brent Lee. It was written for the principal viiolist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Mishnaevski. This wasn't a viola with an electronic pickup - the instrument had no sound box, and the sounds were amplified and modulated by the performer.

You can find _Ruck and Rill_ streamed here. You have to join the Canadian Music Centre, but it's free. This is obviously the same performance that I heard...

http://www.musiccentre.ca/apps/index.cfm?fuseaction=composer.FA_dsp_biography&authpeopleid=9925&by=L


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## Fsharpmajor (Dec 14, 2008)

Art Rock said:


> I'd love to hear about real concertos (not orchestral pieces in which they are used) for the following instruments and orchestra - I don't have them:
> - bagpipes
> - ukelele
> - bouzouki
> ...


Sean O'Boyle's concerto for didgeridoo:

*http://www.amazon.com/Sean-OBoyle-Symphony-Concerto-Didgeridoo/dp/B000W2FICQ*

I posted a YouTube video earlier in this thread.

I don't know if you have piccolo or mandolin (I haven't had a chance to check out your blog), but the Israeli composer Avner Dorman has written concertos for each of them (available on Naxos).

Who wrote the Hardinger fiddle concerto? Was it Geirr Tveitt?


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

Fsharpmajor said:


> Sean O'Boyle's concerto for didgeridoo:
> 
> *http://www.amazon.com/Sean-OBoyle-Symphony-Concerto-Didgeridoo/dp/B000W2FICQ*
> 
> ...


I don't know that I would put Mandolin in the unusuals list necessarily. If you did, then the mandolin concerti by Vivaldi would be the obvious examples.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Fsharpmajor said:


> Sean O'Boyle's concerto for didgeridoo:
> 
> *http://www.amazon.com/Sean-OBoyle-Symphony-Concerto-Didgeridoo/dp/B000W2FICQ*
> 
> ...


Thanks for the didgeridoo link (YouTube posts do not show up at work). Indeed, Tveitt wrote the hardanger fiddle concerto (2 even). I have piccolo and mandolin in my lsit, thanks. And I will be using Dorman (from my collection) for one of them.


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## jaimsilva (Jun 1, 2011)

*Tuba Concerto*

Not (yet) a very well known concerto for tuba by the portuguese composer Jorge Salgueiro. 
With the tuba virtuoso Sérgio Carolino (he is Yamaha endorser musician, performing recitals and masterclasses throughout Europe, being resident musician at Royal Superior Conservatory of Madrid, Höchshulle für Musik in Zürich, at the Festival International de Vigo Tuba, Lieksa Brass Week, International Brass Master Class in Quimper (France) and the 36th International Horn Symposium in Valencia.)


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

For the tuba, Vaughan Williams is probably the best known name.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Reinhld Gliere wrote a concerto for coloratura soprano and orchestra, without words.
It was recorded many years ago on Decca by the late Dame Joan Sutherland and her hubby Richard Bonynge and the L.S.O. As Sutherland never had the greatest diction, she was a great choice for this. It's lot of fun.


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

Johann Albrechtsberger - Beethoven's teacher of composition - wrote this concerto for alto trombone. Our local orchestra did this in a concert a few years ago. The instrument was pretty amazing - a trombone about two feet long, that you don't need gorilla arms to play. It has a very mellow sound, but I guess it went the way of the basset horn and the oboe d'amore.


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## jaimsilva (Jun 1, 2011)

*Concertos for Jew's Harp, Mandora and Orchestra*

Albrechtsberger -
Concertos for Jew's Harp, Mandora and Orchestra

*Jew's harp* - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew's_harp










*Mandora* - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandora










J.G. Albrechtsberger: Konzert E-Dur für Maultrommel, Mandora und Orchester
J.G. Albrechtsberger: Konzert F-Dur für Maultrommel, Mandora und Orchester

Fritz Mayr (Jew's Harp)
Dieter Kirsch (Mandora)
Münchener Kammerorchester
Hans Stadlmair (conductor)


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Oops. That should be Reinhold Gliere. My finger slipped.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Spellbound Concerto for Piano and Theremin by Miklos Rozsa




Love the theremin...perhaps the most versatile and fun instrument I play.


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## Ravellian (Aug 17, 2009)

Takemitsu's _November Steps_ is basically a concerto for shakuhachi and biwu:


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

Mozart's Concerto for Moistened **** Cheeks K627. I recommend it as being utterly civilised. There's a fine recording of it available on Naxos with Alfred Brendel as the soloist. But the definitive version is surely the late Luciano Pavarotti's. The amazing vibrato from the glutes and the sustain, oh, the sustain. Divine.


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## Curiosity (Jul 10, 2011)

All that listening to Black Sabbath has filled your mind up with images of the metaphorical equal of Black Sabbath's music - soggy **** cheeks.


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

Curiosity said:


> All that listening to Black Sabbath has filled your mind up with images of the metaphorical equal of Black Sabbath's music - soggy **** cheeks.


Why do people constantly feel the need to bring up Black Sabbath?

Here I am, trying to contribute sensibly about unusual concerti, and you're bringing up heavy metal music.


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## Curiosity (Jul 10, 2011)

You're on a classical music forum, with a mediocre metal musician displayed in your avatar, bashing the most widely adored classical musicians.

What do you expect?


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

Curiosity said:


> You're on a classical music forum, with a mediocre metal musician displayed in your avatar, bashing the most widely adored classical musicians.
> 
> What do you expect?


I'm not bashing anyone. I recommend it as a good concerto and very representative of Mozart's late period.

And if Tony Iommi is a mediocre metal musician, then pray tell, who's a good metal musician?


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## Curiosity (Jul 10, 2011)

He may be decent by metal standards, but I gather those standards are somewhat low. In any case his technical ability is fairly standard from what I can deduce, and his songwriting is nothing special. Lots of generic emo-sounding riffs, not much substance. I don't see how he can be considered a great musician by any objective definition.

Hearing the work of these metal folks transposed to a classical format really highlights just how banal and basic their material really is, generally speaking.






:lol:


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

Just commented about this on a different thread. The MSO is on tour in Edinburgh, and performed Tan Dun' _Water Concerto_, a commission from the NY Philharmonic around the time he composed the music to Crouching Tiger.

_From the review: _Wang Beibei s'amène de l'arrière de la salle en dansant et en caressant avec un archet un *waterphone*, instrument semblable à une cage à oiseaux métallique. Elle monte sur scène et s'installe devant *deux grand bols d'eau transparents *qui seront ses instruments de travail pendant environ une demi-heure.

Appuyée par deux percussionnistes de l'OSM, Serge Desgagnés et Andre Dunsmore, qui ont chacun un bol d'eau semblable devant eux, elle immerge des objets dans l'eau - un tube, des verres, un gong - et y plonge les mains qui remuent le liquide en faisant des gestes tantôt doux, tantôt saccadés. Quitte à asperger d'eau les spectateurs au pied de la scène.

Translation: the soloist plays a _waterphone _with a bow, and plays "two transparent bowls of water". Two additional bowls are "played" by the orchestra's percussion section.


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

Curiosity said:


> He may be decent by metal standards, but I gather those standards are somewhat low. In any case his technical ability is fairly standard from what I can deduce, and his songwriting is nothing special. Lots of generic emo-sounding riffs, not much substance. I don't see how he can be considered a great musician by any objective definition.


That's beside the point, I'm asking if Tony Iommi is a mediocre metal musician, then who is a good metal musician?

Converting a Black Sabbath tune from rock instrumentation to a string quartet is really missing the point, and it's a point a lot of people forget; there is more to the music than just the notes.

Well, there is obviously no way he can objectively be considered a great musician, what with you're criteria for greatness mainly consisting of a musician being able to replicate the sound of a saturated bottom, piece after piece, without fail. I suppose in this regard he's not up to scratch with masters like Mozart who fully understood how to mimic the timbral nuances of a rumptious booty.


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## Fsharpmajor (Dec 14, 2008)

Argus said:


> fully understood how to mimic the timbral nuances of a rumptious booty.


I've always thought that Mark Knopfler was the expert at that:


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

I heard a wonderful version of the aforementioned K627 earlier today. It wasn't one for the HIP snobs as it was more of a pop/classical crossover. Anyway, it was arranged for two soloists with the main bum line being spread between the four cheeks. The soloists were Rik Waller and Michelle McManus, and what can I say, the clarity of tone from such sizeable behinds was astounding. In particular, the second movement where Messr Waller took over the Alberti bass, and Ms McManus produced such consistently heavenly streams of soaring high notes. It's not the most orthodox version I've heard, but it still brought a tear to my eye. Surely, Mozart's magnum opus.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I post one of these every 1-2 weeks in my blog, with a 8 minute soundbyte. So far I have posted:

Harmonica concerto (Spivakovsky)
Vibraphone concerto (Fink)
Viola concerto (Bacewicz)
Biwa and shakuhachi concerto "November steps" (Takemitsu)
Horn concerto (Knussen)
Prepared piano concerto (Cage)

Next up:
Balalaika concerto (Tubin)


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

Curiosity said:


> Lots of generic emo-sounding riffs,


HAHAHAHAH

You dumb.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo 
read up


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Art Rock said:


> I post one of these every 1-2 weeks in my blog, with a 8 minute soundbyte. So far I have posted:
> 
> Harmonica concerto (Spivakovsky)
> Vibraphone concerto (Fink)
> ...


Meanwhile posted:
7. Balalaika concerto (Tubin)
8. Alto saxophone concerto (Dahl)
9. Bassoon concerto (Jacob)

and today a real rarity:

10. Oud concerto (Saber)


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Edited, nevermind.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

We're upto #16 in my blog:

11. Bandoneon (Piazzolla)
12. Harpsichord (Gorecki)
13. Ondes Martenot (Jolivet)
14. Dizi (Guo)
15. Cello (Akutagawa)
16. Coloratura soprano (Gliere)


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## Oskaar (Mar 17, 2011)

Art Rock said:


> and hardanger fiddle.


That warms a norwegian heart!


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## Manok (Aug 29, 2011)

Isn't really a concerto, but I like the Vaughan Williams romance for harmonica and strings. My question is, who thought the harmonica was a romantic instrument?


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## Guest (Dec 30, 2011)

Hey Art Rock, have you run across Prokofiev's concerto for turntables and orchestra?

It's not Christian Marclay or eRikm, but it is an unusual intrument concerto.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

some guy said:


> Hey Art Rock, have you run across Prokofiev's concerto for turntables and orchestra?
> 
> It's not Christian Marclay or eRikm, but it is an unusual intrument concerto.


Gabriel Prokofiev - on my list of 50+. 

Thanks though, suggestions are always welcome.


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## pluhagr (Jan 2, 2012)

beethovenian said:


> Timpani Concerto anyone?
> 
> Sigh, If only Berlioz wrote one..


Yes, Philip Glass wrote one.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Posted four more in my blog:

17. Turntables (G Prokofiev)
18. Piccolo (Dorman)
19. Electric violin (Adams)
20. Basset horn (Rolla)


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## Igneous01 (Jan 27, 2011)

Anassian wrote a duduk concerto which I thought was interesting, and I think he also wrote a concerto for various middle eastern wind instruments (he switches back and forth between 5 or 6 different instruments.






starts near 3 min


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## Bagnew (Jan 22, 2012)

John Psathas' Timpani Concerto (Planet Damnation)





Mnozil Brass' Carrot(!) Concerto


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## tannhaeuser (Nov 7, 2011)

I can't remember who wrote this but a Chinese composer wrote a double concerto for Western and Chinese percussion. It's name is 龍年新世紀 if anyone fancies searching it up.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Excuse me while I bump this amazing thread. I was happy to see Liu Fang in here. She's fantastic.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Don´t think these were mentioned (?):

Hindemith: Trautonium Konzertstück
Morton Gould: Tap Dancer Concerto
Gubajdulina: Seven Words for Bayan, Cello & Orchestra
Victor Bruns: Concertos for Kontrafagott


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## matsoljare (Jul 28, 2008)

What about Eb clarinet, contrabass clarinet or celesta?


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Art Rock said:


> Posted four more in my blog:
> 
> 17. Turntables (G Prokofiev)
> 18. Piccolo (Dorman)
> ...


We're at 34 by now:

21. Bariton saxophone (Santos)
22. Marimba (Miyoshi)
23. Sho (Hosokawa)
24. Organ (Hanson)
25. Trombone (Rouse)
26. Untuned percussion (Bennett)
27. Recorder (Lindh)
28. Hardanger fiddle (Tveitt)
29. Duduk (Anassian)
30. Clarinet (Hartke)
31. Tar (Khanmammadov)
32. Electric guitars (Rypdahl)
33, Tap dancer (Gould)
34. Birds (Rautavaara)

next up is the alphorn concerto by Farkas.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Don't forget Gavin Bryars' Concerto for Heckelphone and Orchestra (1979)


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I'd love to, but I don't think there is a recording on CD or YouTube.


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