World Premiere. Cello Concerto No 2 "Labyrinths of Life" in Bamberg Mar 8th 2024

On March 8, Erkki-Sven Tüür's Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 2 “Labyrinths of Life” will be premiered in Bamberg by the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra with conductor Thomas Dausgaard and soloist Nicholas Altstaedt.

The three movements are played attacca. The first one, Dark, explores the low register of the cello, finally ‘reaching its heights alongside explosive orchestral passages’. The second movement, titled Deep, brings the soloist to introspection, which the orchestra then takes over and therefore solves the crisis. Finally, Light represents inner liberation and the joy it brings, ending with an airy and ethereal soundscape. The composer asks: ‘Is this the end or a new beginning?’

A poem by Spanish lyricist Federico García Lorca gave inspiration to this work.

I know there is no straight road
No straight road in this world
Only a giant labyrinth
Of intersecting crossroads

The work was commissioned by Bamberger Symphoniker, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra London.