Concerto
for Violin and Orchestra
by Behzad Ranjbaran
Concert Band - Sheet Music

Orchestra Concert Band

SKU: PR.416413660

For Violin and Orchestra. Composed by Behzad Ranjbaran. Perfect. Contemporary. Full score. With Standard notation. Composed 1994. 144 pages. Duration 31 minutes. Theodore Presser Company #416-41366. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.416413660).

ISBN 9781598063578. UPC: 680160601899. 9x12 inches.

Trained as a violinist in his native Tehran, composer Behzad Ranjbaran eagerly drew inspiration from the traditional Persian kamancheh and its delicate, lyrical sound when creating his profoundly luscious and brilliant Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. This work was completed in 1994 and premiered in England by Joshua Bell, who also gave the first American and Canadian performances. The Concerto for Violin and Orchestra is the recipient of the Rudolf Nissim Award from ASCAP, and it was supported in part by a grant from The National Endowment for the Arts. The solo part with a piano reduction as well as a large score are available on custom print. For advanced players. Duration: 31'.
From my early years studying violin at the Tehran Music Conservatory, I was captivated by the sound of the kamancheh, an ancient Persian bowed instrument considered one of the ancestors to the modern violin. I was pleased when the National Endowment for the Arts awarded me a grant to write a violin concerto as it provided me with an occasion to rekindle my fascination with the kamancheh. The notionof writing a violin concerto that would incorporate the power and brilliance of a modern instrument with the delicate and lyrical character of an ancient one was simply irresistible. Moreover, the inspiration from the kamancheh also informed my use of Persian modes, melodic, and rhythmic figures.The notes of the violin’s open strings (G, D, A, E) also influenced many of the melodic and harmonic elements of my violin concerto. The opening tutti is mostly based on intervals of a perfect 4th and 5th. The primary material for each movement incorporates notes of two of the open strings of the violin, creating a three-note melodic motif as the basis of themes:1 st movement: A-D-A2nd movement: D-G-D3rd movement: E-A-EThe overall structure of the concerto is organic and cyclical, as themes are shared between the three movements. For example, the main musical idea of the third movement is a transformation of the first movement’s primary theme. While the movements share similar musical materials, each one is definedby distinguishing characters. The first movement is conflicted; alternating between sections of unabashed lyricism and unforgivingferocity. The second movement is haunting, mysterious, and expressive with long melodic lines that vary continuously. It moves through different moods and characters including a reimagining of a traditional Persian wedding tune played by the orchestra (m. 98). The third movement is festive in character and features much brilliant passagework for the solo violin. At the climax of this movement, themes fromthe previous movements re-emerge simultaneously with greater intensity, propelling the concerto to an energetic finale. The Concerto was composed in 1994 and is dedicated to Joshua Bell.