Christopher Gunning: Violin Concerto, Cello Concerto, Birdflight Harriet Mackenzie, Richard Harwood, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Christopher Gunning

• Christopher Gunning (b. 1944): Violin Concerto:
• 1 Violin Concerto: I. 13:02
• 2 Violin Concerto: II. 09:24
• 3 Violin Concerto: III. 10:35
• Cello Concerto:
• 4 Cello Concerto: I. Waltz Memories 09:06
• 5 Cello Concerto: II. Racing 06:39
• 6 Cello Concerto: III. Lament & Variations 13:44
• Birdflight:
• 7 Birdflight 12:20
• Total Runtime 01:14:50

Info for Christopher Gunning: Violin Concerto, Cello Concerto, Birdflight

This release sees the first Violin and Cello Concertos from Christopher Gunning.

Although he often thought of writing a Violin Concerto, it was 2011 when he first felt the time was right. It would be predominantly lyrical and melodic but also quite florid, with the violin ducking and weaving, rather like the insects and birds of the Welsh hills and valleys. However, while he wanted to express my feelings of joy at being in this incredible place there would also be room for sadness and melancholy. The Cello Concerto is quite different. Although composed hard on the heels of the Violin Concerto, it is generally darker though equally expressive. The first movement, subtitled Waltz Memories, was inspired by a visit to a care home. The residents sat in a semicircle around the room, mostly half asleep.

Then some musicians arrived and after a while the residents sprang to life and danced, just like they had done 40 years ago. It was astonishing to witness the power of music!

"The canvas has something of the shimmering luminosity, graceful poise and sparing lyricism of the violin concertos by Szymanowsky and Rubbra…a thoroughly rewarding, immensely likeable achievement, and Harriet Mackenzie proves an outstandingly assured and sensitive advocate…this impressive issue will, I fancy, make lots of new friends for the music of Christopher Gunning" (Gramophone Magazine)

Richard Harwood, cello
Harriet Mackenzie, violin
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Christopher Gunning, conductor

Christopher Gunning
is a prolific British composer with a passion for writing large-scale symphonic works, more intimate concert pieces, and film and TV scores. In his concert music he has developed an individual yet approachable, colourful, and highly expressive language which frequently gives his music a strongly dramatic and emotional flavour.

In film, he has worked on a wide variety of productions, ranging from period to contemporary dramas and wildlife films, and has won many awards for his work.

Gunning’s career has continually developed since he studied composition with Edmund Rubbra and Richard Rodney Bennett at the Guildhall school of Music and Drama. Although he set out to be a composer of serious concert music, he soon became involved in the media, writing the scores for numerous commercials, television dramas, and films. He also provided characterful arrangements for well-known recording artists.

Now highly regarded as a film and TV composer, Christopher Gunning is best known as the writer of the iconic signature theme for “Agatha Christie’s Poirot” and evocative music for Olivier Dahan’s “La Vie En Rose.” Often instantly recognisable, Gunning’s film and TV music also includes “Rosemary & Thyme,” “Goodbye Gemini,” “Wild Africa”, “Firelight,” “When The Wales Came,” “Karaoke” and “Cold Lazarus.” With a career spanning 40 years, he is a recipient of 4 BAFTA Awards for “La Vie en Rose,” Agatha Christie’s “Poirot,” “Middlemarch” and “Porterhouse Blue,” and 3 Ivor Novello Awards for “Rebecca,” “Under Suspicion,” and “Firelight,’” and a Czech Lion for “La Vie En Rose.” His latest commission is for the score of “Grace of Monaco” to be composed and recorded early in 2013. The film is directed by Olivier Dahan and stars Nicole Kidman and Tim Roth.

A collection of Gunning’s music for films and TV is to be found on the Chandos label: “The Film and TV Music of Christopher Gunning.” The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by Rumon Gamba.

It is over the past fifteen years or so that Gunning has returned to the very different world of concert music, and has won high praise for his work. First came the Saxophone Concerto ”On Hungerford Bridge,” recorded by leading saxophonist John Harle. It was inspired by a summer evening’s walk across Hungerford Bridge, when he heard a saxophonist busking against the sounds of the city. Gramophone Magazine remarked “The most striking work, by far: this is a haunting work, ending as magnetically as it opens.” This was closely followed by his 1st Piano Concerto, and Symphonies 1 and 2.

But it was with Symphonies no. 3 and 4, and his Concerto for Oboe and Strings, released on the Chandos label, that Gunning really attracted attention.

Christopher Gunning’s knowledge and influences are widely eclectic and range from pop music, jazz and film music to Ravel, Bartok, Stravinsky, Ginastera and Lutoslawski. He argues that it should be possible to draw on various techniques to express a wide variety of emotions.

Symphony no 3 is composed in a single movement with sub-sections, and is highly dramatic; it was composed against the backdrop of a possibly life-threatening illness. As therapy, the composer spent many hours walking in the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons of Wales, and the work explores the area’s changing light patterns, seasonal changes, and unpredictable weather conditions. Symphony no 4, also in a single movement; by then his health had improved remarkably and it is generally more optimistic in nature, but nevertheless dramatic. He was more inclined to adopt a celebratory mood in some forceful fanfare-like music towards the end.

Since then Gunning has composed Symphonies 5, 6 and 7. No’s 6 and 7 follow his fascination with a single movement form broken into several sub-sections, but no. 5 is in four extended movements. With an overall duration of some 55 minutes, this is Gunning’s largest-scale orchestral work to date, and it is scheduled for release by Discovery early in 2013 in a recording by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the composer.

Also shortly to be released are his Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra with Craig Ogden as soloist, coupled with his Concerto for Clarinet and String orchestra (soloist Michael Whight) and his Concertino for Flute and Small Orchestra. (soloist Catherine Handley.) The Royal Philharmonic is conducted by the composer. The Guitar Concerto is predominantly sunny, with south-European climes haunting the music, while the Concertino for Flute is strongly influenced by the hills and valleys of Wales, particularly in the slow brooding second movement. The Concerto for Clarinet and Strings is more urban in character, with a particularly lively and jazzy final movement.

The Saxophone Concerto, ”On Hungerford Bridge,” recorded by leading saxophonist John Harle, was inspired by a summer evening’s walk across Hungerford Bridge, when he heard a saxophonist busking against the sounds of the city. Gramophone Magazine remarked “The most striking work, by far,… a haunting work, ending as magnetically as it opens.”

Booklet for Christopher Gunning: Violin Concerto, Cello Concerto, Birdflight