The Agony in the Garden (Biber)

(Heinrich Biber arr. Tom Coult)

 

Biber’s Rosary Sonatas were written, like many of my own recent pieces, for retuned violin. The Agony in the Garden is a stunning example of his lyrical beauty and instrumental audacity – a favourite of both mine and Daniel Pioro’s, for and with whom this orchestration was written.
 

Daniel made his own immaculately-judged voicings of the continuo part, to suit his playing and interpretation. I then ‘coloured in’ his beautiful line drawings, orchestrating and in some cases adding extra materials.

Instrumentation:

solo violin & chamber orchestra: 1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.0, hp, strings (suggested 4.3.2.2.1)

Duration:

10 mins

Commission:

Commissioned by BBC Radio 3

Performances:

19 May 2021

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra with Daniel Pioro, Ryan McAdams (cond.)

BBC MediaCity, Salford, UK

World premiere