The Concerto for Group and Orchestra is a concerto composed by Jon Lord, with lyrics written by Ian Gillan. It was first performed by Deep Purple and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Arnold on 24 September 1969 and released on vinyl in December 1969. The release was the first Deep Purple album to feature Ian Gillan on vocals and Roger Glover on bass. After the score was lost in 1970, it was performed again in 1999 with a recreated score. The 1969 performance was the first ever combination of rock music and a complete orchestra and has been cited as paving the way for other rock/orchestra performances such as Metallica's S&M concert and Roger Water's The Wall Berlin performance.
The Concerto for Group and Orchestra displays some characteristics of the concerto grosso, sinfonia concertante, and concerto for orchestra genres:
First movement (Moderato - Allegro): after an elaborate orchestral introduction the Group and the Orchestra work as separate blocks, trying to get dominance over the main theme - this opposition of a group of soloists against an orchestra is quite "concerto grosso" style.
Second movement (Andante), with lyrics sung by Ian Gillan: here the group integrates more with the sound of the orchestra while still clearly on top of the orchestral texture, giving a sinfonia concertante look and feel.
Third movement (Vivace - Presto): apart from Ian Paice's drum solo, the music is so tightly knit that the distinction between the group and the orchestra is almost lifted: in a way the group becomes part of an extended orchestra, with one elaborate "solo" passage, by an instrument that is no soloist throughout the movement, giving a concerto touch: this is more or less what is understood by the Concerto for Orchestra genre.
The piece was first performed and recorded on 24 September 1969 in the Royal Albert Hall, London, by:
Deep Purple
Jon Lord: keyboards
Ritchie Blackmore: guitar
Ian Gillan: vocals
Roger Glover: bass
Ian Paice: drums
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Malcolm Arnold
The programme consisted of:
1.Symphony No. 6, Op. 95 (Malcolm Arnold), performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
1."1st Movement: Energico" (9:19)
2."2nd Movement: Lento" (8:52)
3."3rd Movement: Con Fuoco" (7:02)
2."Hush" (Joe South, 4:42), performed by Deep Purple
3."Wring That Neck" (Ritchie Blackmore, Nick Simper, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, 13:23), performed by Deep Purple
4."Child in Time" (Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Lord, Paice - 12:06), performed by Deep Purple
5.Concerto for Group and Orchestra (Jon Lord, with lyrics by Ian Gillan), performed by Deep Purple with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
1."First Movement: Moderato-Allegro" (19:23)
2."Second Movement: Andante" (19:11)
3."Third Movement: Vivace-Presto" (13:09)
Parts of the Concerto's "Third Movement" - 5:53 - were given as an encore.
The piece was first performed and recorded on 24 September 1969 in the Royal Albert Hall, London, by:
Deep Purple
Jon Lord: keyboards
Ritchie Blackmore: guitar
Ian Gillan: vocals
Roger Glover: bass
Ian Paice: drums
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Malcolm Arnold
The programme consisted of:
1.Symphony No. 6, Op. 95 (Malcolm Arnold), performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
1."1st Movement: Energico" (9:19)
2."2nd Movement: Lento" (8:52)
3."3rd Movement: Con Fuoco" (7:02)
2."Hush" (Joe South, 4:42), performed by Deep Purple
3."Wring That Neck" (Ritchie Blackmore, Nick Simper, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, 13:23), performed by Deep Purple
4."Child in Time" (Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Lord, Paice - 12:06), performed by Deep Purple
5.Concerto for Group and Orchestra (Jon Lord, with lyrics by Ian Gillan), performed by Deep Purple with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
1."First Movement: Moderato-Allegro" (19:23)
2."Second Movement: Andante" (19:11)
3."Third Movement: Vivace-Presto" (13:09)
Parts of the Concerto's "Third Movement" - 5:53 - were given as an encore.
The piece was first performed and recorded on 24 September 1969 in the Royal Albert Hall, London, by:
Deep Purple
Jon Lord: keyboards
Ritchie Blackmore: guitar
Ian Gillan: vocals
Roger Glover: bass
Ian Paice: drums
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Malcolm Arnold
The programme consisted of:
1.Symphony No. 6, Op. 95 (Malcolm Arnold), performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
1."1st Movement: Energico" (9:19)
2."2nd Movement: Lento" (8:52)
3."3rd Movement: Con Fuoco" (7:02)
2."Hush" (Joe South, 4:42), performed by Deep Purple
3."Wring That Neck" (Ritchie Blackmore, Nick Simper, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, 13:23), performed by Deep Purple
4."Child in Time" (Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Lord, Paice - 12:06), performed by Deep Purple
5.Concerto for Group and Orchestra (Jon Lord, with lyrics by Ian Gillan), performed by Deep Purple with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
1."First Movement: Moderato-Allegro" (19:23)
2."Second Movement: Andante" (19:11)
3."Third Movement: Vivace-Presto" (13:09)
Parts of the Concerto's "Third Movement" - 5:53 - were given as an encore.
The Concerto for Group and Orchestra was first released on vinyl in December 1969 in the United States (Tetragrammaton) and in January 1970 in the United Kingdom (Harvest). These releases contained only the "Concerto", with the second movement broken in two halves. Copies of the original U.S. editions are rare as Tetragrammaton went bankrupt while the album was still being issued. In the following year, the Concerto became the only Tetragrammaton release to be reissued by Warner Bros., Deep Purple's new U.S. label.
Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerto_for_Group_and_Orchestra
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