London Premiere of Simon Holt’s Centauromachy
4th August 2011
The concerto takes the two opposing personalities of a mythical centaur as its starting point as Holt continues to find inspiration in the world of Greek myth.
Reviews from the world premiere:
‘a marvellously imaginative conception - musically, emotionally and intellectually.[...] a wonderful, five-movement, musical fantasy. [...] a dazzlingly virtuosic showpiece.’
Richard Morrison, The Times
‘There are moments when each instrument's timbre seems to linger on the threshold of the other; together they blend into an altogether different sound quality, and yet can also contrast brilliantly. The magical and otherworldly effect befits the mythical creature. [...] The soloists' interplay with the orchestra is characteristically intricate. Plane and Schartz realised the virtuosity effortlessly, allowing the work's core expressiveness and the feeling of an ultimately tortured superbeing to vividly emerge.’
Rian Evans, The Guardian
