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Work of the Week – Richard Ayres: No. 36 (NONcerto for Horn)
- 17 Oct 2022
As the title insinuates, No. 36 (NONcerto for Horn) by Richard Ayres defiantly strays from the sounds and ideals of a traditional Horn Concerto. The Philharmonische Orchester Hagen brings this angular piece to Hagen and Finnentrop on the 18th and 19th of October. As he has done many times before, The Berliner Philharmoniker’s horn soloist Stefan Dohr plays the solo part under the baton of Joseph Trafton.
No. 36 (NONcerto for Horn) is the fourth instance in the series of so-called “NONcerti” by Ayres. Italian for “unsure”, NONcerto is a self-invented term which underlines the ironic play between the stage and the audience.
In the first movement the solo horn dashes between two podiums, creating an imitation of his own echo. The interaction between the solo instrument and the orchestra, as well as additional ringing of cowbells gives the music a floating sensation as violin arpeggios soar in elegant decoration. In the second movement, a particular point of interest is the use of a door which separates the soloist from the orchestra and the audience. Annotations in the score give instructions for when the distance of space gets broken open, for when the door is opened or shut, a technique utilised to create a varied textural relationship between horn and orchestra.
Quite an unusual “Concerto”
No. 36 (NONcerto for Horn) by Richard Ayres
Lastly, the third movement tells the story of a young woman’s farewell with contradictory subheadings projected behind the audience. The music does not convey the feelings implied by the subheadings: Ayres wants listeners to think for themselves. This discrepancy satirises programmatic music in general and concludes a humorous and ironic work.
Richard Ayres’ music is not able to be accumulated into strictly one style. Oftentimes there are examples of repetitive patterns of minimal music as well as folky elements, like cowbells in this piece. But mainly he plays with expectancies[...] - Philharmonisches Staatsorchester, Mainz
Also by Richard Ayers, watch the childhood story of Peter Pan (No. 45) brought to life as an opera in a December run starting on the 17th of December in Mainz, Germany.
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Illustration: BY-Studio / Adobe
