Cello Concerto (Serrano Alarcón)

From Wind Repertory Project
Luis Serrano Alarcón

Luis Serrano Alarcón


Subtitle: With winds, percussion, and piano


General Info

Year: 2021
Duration: c. 21:30
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alarcon Music
Cost: Parts - Rental   |   Score - €46.15


Instrumentation

Full Score
Solo Cello
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Bass Clarinet
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Tuba
Piano
Timpani
Percussion I-II, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Chimes
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Glockenspiel
  • Snare Drum
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Tam-tam
  • Tambourine
  • Triangle
  • Vibraphone
  • Xylophone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

In May 2001, our third son, William Reynish, passed away, and we began a series of commissions in his memory. By 2021 we had commissioned over twenty-five works for wind orchestra, and had planned to end the series with a score from Luis Serrano Alarcon. Sadly, in August 2021 our second son, Matt, died, and since he was a cellist, it was natural that this concerto should be dedicated to his memory as well.

The distinguished conductor Frank Battisti wrote to me immediately after hearing the work:

I've just listened to the Cello Concerto twice. It's a wonderful piece and one that should be heard by all who conduct wind groups!!! Following are some notes I made as I listened to the music. The orchestration is clear and fresh, with a wonderful diversity of textures – cohesive, energetic, and lyrical. The work is sophisticated but very inviting and engages both my intellect and emotions.


My first discussions with Luis – after my meeting with the Union Musical Santa Cecilia de Valle del Arzobispo at my memorable 80th birthday concert in 2018 – concerned the possibility of a concerto for double bass and winds. Always the practical musician, Luis suggested changing it to a cello concerto.

The work falls into clear sub-sections and is scored for wind ensemble without saxophones but with piano. After a tutti introduction, the cello enters with an energico theme which is to be the most important melodic idea of the concerto, alternating with passage work. The mood changes to a more lyrical interlude, followed by the energico which leads into the second main section Lento. This is half the speed of the first section, and features melodies for the cello answered in the contra bassoon and horn.

The third section is a brief scherzando, starting in the high woodwind, echoed by pizzicato cello and gradually picking up the original tempo before a return in the fourth section again to lento, where emotional cello melodies are answered in the orchestra by woodwind with brass interjections.

The fifth section returns to the energetic opening music, with exciting passage work for cello accompanying woodwind solos, building to a final flourish and an extensive cadenza for soloist, accompanied by percussion and piano. The sixth and concluding section is in two parts, a return to the opening allegro before a final presto coda of great virtuosity.

Throughout the concerto, the writing for the cellist and for wind brass soloists is brilliant, with substantial solos for all the woodwind and brass principals and a cadenza for the soloist and four percussion.

- Program Note by Timothy Reynish


Three of the first performances of this work featured Timothy Reynish's eldest grandson, Andrew Reynish, as soloist.


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

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Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

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