大象传媒

British composer Richard Ayres is known for his idiosyncratic takes on some of the more hallowed conventions of the orchestral repertory. His series of so-called 'Noncertos' cast the soloist in unusual or unfamiliar (or uncomfortable) scenarios in which the conventional relationship between the individual and the crowd is subverted to tragi-comic effect. In 'No.36' a 'Noncerto' for horn and orchestra, the soloist is an outsider, trying to integrate with the ensemble, whether by calling across mountain peaks (and being its own echo), standing outside the gates of Heaven or narrating a series of silent-film vignettes in a quasi Buster Keaton role. This solo horn here, despite its tumescent Straussian associations, is an uncertain hero ('Noncerto' is a pun on Concerto and the Italian for 'uncertain'). This energetic performance was recorded in the City Halls, Glasgow by Saar Berger (horn) with the 大象传媒 Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ilan Volkov.