composer
Rudolf Escher was a composer who wrote for the ear, rather than to conform to some extra-musical principle. He composed a relatively small oeuvre of orchestral pieces, chamber music and ...
related works
De Perzen / muziek Rudolf Escher, [tekst] Aischylos, vertaling Evert Straat
Genre:
Opera, musical theatre
Subgenre:
Male choir and instruments
Scoring:
soloists recit 14bas fg sax trb tb 4perc
Symfonietta : voor orkest, 1959 / Antoon Maessen
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
2222 2220 timp perc str
Symphonie no. 1 : für Orchester, 1992 / Reinhold Selen
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
3333 4331 perc str
Divertimento : voor klein orkest / Adr. Bonsel
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
2222 2200 perc str
composition
Symphony II : for orchestra, 1958, (revised version 1980) / Rudolf Escher
Contains:
Lento
Vivo
Tranquillo
Passacaglia (Larghetto con grazia)
Description:
Program note (English): [Première: 19-1-1959 - Groningen - Nederlands Studenten Orkest, Jan Brussen, conducting] - The first version of this symphony was composed in 1958, for the Dutch department of an American pharmaceutical industry with the intention that a good amateur orchestra could perform it. The Student Orchestra of the Netherlands consequently gave the first series of performances of this original version with conductor Jan Brussen during its 1959 tour. Thereafter, however, when none of the more than sixty Dutch amateur orchestras showed any interest for this work, I re-wrote it in 1964 and even later added some retouches. In this new version, which compositionally gave me a wider scope, I no longer needed to consider the limitations of an amateur orchestra. For example, not only was it now possible that the motion of the fast second movement could be continued, the flexibility in rhythmic and metric details also became considerably more balanced. In short, in each movement both the
structure and the instrumentation changed so much, that it practically became a totally new work. The only instrumental characteristic sustained was the small instrumentation of wood - and brass winds, except for trombones and tuba. On the other hand the percussion was considerably expanded, one harp replaced by two harps and a piano added to the instrumentation. Furthermore electronic amplification was set to the tubular bells, and vibraphone, bells and piano during the final chord. (part IV). -