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Late Gothic Overture is in fact the final movement of the composer's four-movement Symphony (1993-97).
The music, inspired by the often grotesque imagery of Northern Renaissance artists such as Bosch, Matsys, Grünewald and Altdorfer, lends itself to performance as a curtain-raiser.
After a dark, mysterious opening, the ‘Overture’, in sonata-rondo form, commences with a unison ‘motto’ that is heard several times during the course of the movement. A sequence of three themes follows: the first, a maestoso one for strings; the second, derived from the motto, commences on cellos; the third, which introduces an eschatological element to the work, is given to trumpets and horns. As the piece progresses, the brass section grows increasingly insistent, the trumpet bringing the ‘Overture’ to a shattering conclusion.
This work, submitted anonymously, won first prize in the 2011 South African National Youth Orchestra competition and was given a highly publicised performance in Johannesburg.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu featured in the same concert as narrator in Britten's 'Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra'.
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Duration: 8-9 minutes
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Johannesburg
South Africa