Philip Sawyers: Double Concerto for Violin & Cello

"Nimbus and the ESO are releasing the seventh Philip Sawyers title, containing a series of world premiere recordings. This release contains the Double Concerto for Violin and Cello, the Viola Concerto, Remembrance for Strings, Octet with Kenneth Woods conducted both the English Symphony Orchestra and English String Orchestra, with renowned soloists Daniel Rowland and Maja Bogdanovic. “In 2009 I was commissioned to write a Cello Concerto by the Sydenham International Music Festival for one of their rising stars, Maja Bogdanovic. Since her musical and personal connection with the amazing violinist Daniel Rowland, it had been in my mind to write them a double concerto. Overshadowed by the famous Brahms double, this was a somewhat daunting task. It is a piece which reflects ideas of journeys which develop initial ideas as the music unfolds and unlike previous concertos, there is no first movement cadenza. The Viola Concerto was written in 2020. The idea came after attending the recording sessions and performances of a double concerto for violin, viola and string orchestra by my fellow composer and friend David Matthews. The lovely playing of the viola part by Sarah-Jane Bradley set off some ideas for a viola concerto of my own. In 2007 the mixed chamber music ensemble ‘Liquid Architecture’ commissioned me to write them an Octet for their appearance at the Chelsea Schubert Festival. The Schubert Octet was on their programme so the instrumentation was pre-determined: clarinet, horn, bassoon, 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass. The piece is in one continuous movement in four sections: Adagio, Allegro, Andante and Allegro.”"