6 favourite works for string orchestra

[Mirror Image]

Very interested in the choices of the 'Partita' by Vaughan Williams. I hadn't made much of it before but John (Mirror Image) had recommende the Bryden Thomson recording of Vaughan Williams's Symphony 8, which is indeed terrific. Coupled with it on my CD is the Partita which, coincidentally, I listened to in the car today. Whether it was the performance or the work itself I don't know (presumably a combination of the two) but I now have a much higher opinion of this work. So many thanks for the recommendations here and to John as well. 

Thumbs up, Jeffrey! Glad you enjoy RVW's Partita now. It is a work that has always stood out to me amongst his other works for string orchestra.

[Jo498]

Berg's Lyric Suite lacks half the music or more in the string orchestra version, that's a main drawback for me (I love the piece in the original complete and string quartet version).

My favs would include

Bartok: Divertimento
Dvorak: String serenade
Tchaikovsky: String serenade
Vaughan Williams: Tallis Phantasia
Handel: several concerti from op.6, e.g. the g minor and B flat major.

[vandermolen]

Third movement 'Cavatina' of Vaughan Williams's Symphony No.8 also springs to mind. The last manifestation, in his output, of the spirit of the Tallis Fantasia I think.

[EigenUser]

Nice choices, Paul. I forgot about RVW's Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus. What a great piece. I also love Diamond's Rounds.

I've played both before. I do love them.

[pjme]

Third movement 'Cavatina' of Vaughan Williams's Symphony No.8 also springs to mind. The last manifestation, in his output, of the spirit of the Tallis Fantasia I think.

Indeed a good example of RVW's glorious way of writing for stringorchestra.

P.

[prémont]

Certainly not in the modern sense of chamber music. No chamber groups tackle the Brandenburgs (the Mosaiques could not perform the 3rd or 6th ) Chamber orchestras, and even full orchestras perform the Brandenburgs, just like they do the Bach orchestral suites and the keyboard concertos. The Brandenburgs are nothing like the triosonatas.

Sarge

True, not in the modern sense of chamber music, but in the sense OPPP (one player per part).

The modern (and fortunately dying) way of playing the Brandenburg "concertos" with full symphony orchestral forces is contradicted by our knowledge about the ensemble the music was written for (Prince Leopold´s chapel, Cöthen).

[James]

Webern - 5 pieces for string orchestra
Stravinsky - Apollo

[Brahmsian]

Webern - 5 pieces for string orchestra
Stravinsky - Apollo

More great ones there!

[North Star]

Schoenberg - Verklärte Nacht
Stravinsky - Apollo
Tippett - Corelli Fantasia
RVW - Tallis Fantasia
Strauss - Metamorphosen
Dvorak: String Serenade

[Luke]

As often, I've noticed, your list almost matches mine, which is interesting! The exception is the Schoenberg on your list whose place is taken by the 'other' Tippett piece in my list. I love the Schoenberg, naturally, but for me it is impossible to miss off the Tippett Double Concerto.

Ultra-committed Janacekista though I am, his string orchestra are IMO fairly weak and unidiomatic pieces (the idioms which they do possess are often more Dvorak than Janacek, strikingly so sometimes, though there is a definite progression between the two pieces, too)

[Karl Henning]

Wuorinen, Grand Bamboula

http://www.youtube.com/v/zuIRYPwEqu0

L. Andriessen, Symfonie voor losse snaren

http://www.youtube.com/v/v2LG0Tmredg

Debussy, Danses sacrée et profane pour harpe chromatique et orchestre à cordes

http://www.youtube.com/v/2AtBqXJKmK4

Braga Santos, Concerto for strings in d minor

http://www.youtube.com/v/g2GRR89w02U

Britten, Prelude & Fugue for 18 strings

http://www.youtube.com/v/H1r7tvMBp94

Tippett, Concerto for Double String Orchestra

http://www.youtube.com/v/yRXj2ka8iz4

Honorable mention:

JSB, Brandenburg Concerti N^os. 3 & 6
Schoenberg, Verklärte Nacht (string orch. version)
RVW, Tallis Fantasia
Braga Santos, Variações concertantes for string orchestra, harp & solo string quartet

and others . . . .

[mc ukrneal]

I love the Schoenberg, naturally, but for me it is impossible to miss off the Tippett Double Concerto.

The Tippett is wonderful indeed. I learned about this work through a friend who played in a group that performed it. I am not always crazy about music with some of the harmonies like this, but I think I barely blinked or breathed the whole time I heard it.  It always struck me as deceptively simple too - but simple it is not. Gorgeous music.

[Cato]

Wuorinen, Grand Bamboula

http://www.youtube.com/v/zuIRYPwEqu0

   Apologies for not including the Grand Bamboula earlier!       A great work by a great composer! 

Also forgotten earlier:

Albert Roussel:Sinfonietta

https://www.youtube.com/v/kXUxEPtbkuY

[Mirror Image]

Part's Cantus has that bell part, so I'm not sure it can count....

If Jeffrey can include Honegger's 2nd and Karl can include Debussy's Danses, then there should be no complaint about Part's Cantus (which actually was just an honorable mention from me).

[Karl Henning]

Well, the harp is a string instrument, right? 

[Mirror Image]

Well, the harp is a string instrument, right? 

Well sure, but when I think of a work for string orchestra, I don't necessarily think about a concertante work like Danses for example.

[Karl Henning]

Well sure, but when I think of a work for string orchestra, I don't necessarily think about a concertante work like Danses for example.

I see what you mean, and yet, one of the iconic works which many of us have mentioned (and which most of us love — and in fact, it opens our Jeffrey's inaugural post for the thread), the RVW Tallis Fantasia, is a concertante work par excellence.

[Mirror Image]

I see what you mean, and yet, one of the iconic works which many of us have mentioned (and which most of us love — and in fact, it opens our Jeffrey's inaugural post for the thread), the RVW Tallis Fantasia, is a concertante work par excellence.

I agree. FYI, I would've picked Debussy's Danses in a heartbeat, but I already had six picks already. RVW's Tallis Fantasia is excellent indeed.

[Brian]

Well sure, but when I think of a work for string orchestra, I don't necessarily think about a concertante work like Danses for example.

I was definitely thinking about concertos with string orchestra - Piazzolla/Desyatnikov's Four Seasons, Copland's Clarinet Concerto, Koszewski's Concerto Grosso, Dorman's Mandolin Concerto, etc.

[jochanaan]

Hah!  You know he meant № 3 

Actually, I did mean #6.  And #3 too!   Yes, #6 is all strings.