Mercury Classics will release film composer James Horner‘s first concert work in over 30 years, Pas de Deux. The Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra written by the Academy Award-winning composer of such movies as Titanic, Avatar, Braveheart, Aliens, A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13 and performed by musicians Mari & Hakon Samuelsen and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra premiered last fall in Liverpool. Also included on the album is Pärt’s Fratres for Violin, String Orchestra & Percussion, Sollima’s Violoncelles, Vibrez! and Einaudi’s Divenire. The album will be released overseas on May 25, 2015 and is now available for pre-order as an import on Amazon. Check back on this page for the domestic release date.
Here’s the album track list:
1. Part 1 [Horner: Pas de Deux]
2. Part 2 [Horner: Pas de Deux]
3. Part 3 [Horner: Pas de Deux]
4. Fratres For Violin, String Orchestra & Percussion [Pärt]
5. Violoncelles, Vibrez! [Sollima]
6. Divenire [Einaudi]
I did not particularly like Pas de Deux the first time I heard it because James Horner’s penchant of leaning on the styles of other 20th-century composers, particularly Benjamin Britten and, in the second movement, where he quotes the C-E-C motivic cell from Henryk Gorecki’s Third Symphony, is a particular irritant insofar as I am concerned.
However, on second reflection I am slowly warming to it’s heartfelt patina. Following his unexpected death I am sure it will receive more performances, particularly in California, where Gustavo Dudamel will at some point in time include it the the L A Philharmonic programming.
That wouldn’t be the first time he ripped off Benjamin Britten.