Contemporary Music: Orchestral Music

Henri Lazarof - Contemporary Music: Orchestral Music

LP released in 1977

SPECTRUM for solo trumpet, orchestra and tape

Performers:
Thomas Stevens - trumpet
Utah Symphony, Henri Lazarof - conductor

SPECTRUM for Solo Trumpet, Orchestra and 4-Channel Tape was written in 1973 and first performed in January 1975 in Salt Lake City by the Utah Symphony Orchestra with Thomas Stevens as soloist, the composer conducting. The work is in two movements and the soloist uses both the regular trumpet and the flugelhorn. The orchestra is composed of a group of six instrumentalists surrounding the soloist, eight string basses, and large sections of woodwinds, brass and percussion. The tape consists of pre-recorded trumpets on 4 channels prepared by Thomas Stevens, to whom the work is dedicated.

CONCERTO FOR FLUTE AND ORCHESTRA

Performers:
James Galway - flute
New Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Henri Lazarof - conductor

Henri Lazarof has been greatly drawn to compositions of the concerto type, and his catalogue includes several works for piano and orchestra as well as concertos for both the viola and the cello. CONCERTO FOR FLUTE AND ORCHESTRA was written in 1973 and dedicated to James Galway and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, who gave the first performance in March of 1975. The work's formal balance - it consists of two movements separated by an Interlude for the soloist alone - is to some extent reflected in the layout of the orchestra on the platform. This is as symmetrical as possible.
The soloist begins on the alto flute, but switches to the normal instrument near the half-way mark of the first movement and does not change again. His part incorporates quarter-tones, but these are largely confined to the opening stages and to the final unaccompanied passage.
The work begins with a series of short sections separated by pauses. While they have an introductory character, they also contain the cells out of which musch that follows is built. Although there are several "free" passages during the course of the work, and individual instrumentalists (notably the two percussion players but also the cellos and basses) are allowed to improvise, the bulk of the composition is precisely fixed. (from the liner notes)

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Spectrum {13:49}

Side 2

1. Concerto for Flute and Orchestra {18:11}

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