Naxos has just launched another disc in the series of music by Peter Maxwell Davies. The main work is the Strathclyde Concerto No.2 for Cello and Orchestra written in 1988. This is the second disc of works focussing on Peter Maxwell Davies’ continuing artistic relationship with the Ceccanti family. Here the cello concerto is performed by Vittorio Ceccanti alongside The Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI.
The concerto is known for its wealth of solo melody, and throughout the soloist has dialogues with, or is supported by, the orchestra. It is scored for pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns and trumpets, with piccolo and bass clarinet as doubling instruments, plus timpani and strings.
