Fresco (Lindberg)
Fresco is an orchestral composition by the Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg. The work was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Its world premiere was given in Los Angeles on March 12, 1998 by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the direction of Esa-Pekka Salonen, to whom the piece is dedicated.
Composition
Fresco is composed in one continuous movement and has a duration of approximately 22 minutes. The title refers to fresco paintings, which Lindberg has compared to a composer's painting with orchestral colors and textures.Instrumentation
The work is scored for a large orchestra consisting of two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, cor anglais, three clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, four trumpets, four trombones, tuba, three percussionists, piano, harp, and strings.Reception
Reviewing the world premiere, Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times highly praised the piece, writing:Swed continued, "Instead it is the play of light and dark, of colors and textures, that commands attention. It is the orchestra as night sky, with more texture than we can ever penetrate."
BBC Music Magazine similarly remarked, "In Fresco, Lindberg contrasts music of almost chamber-like delicacy with characteristically huge chords topped by screaming brass. The composer refers to the latter as 'pillars' and there is indeed an architectural strength and solidity sensed throughout Lindberg's music. Immensely powerful structures are sustained like a massive bridge, with periodic moments of crisis, allowing the tension to dip before once more building to a climax." Gramophone contrasted the piece with Lindberg's Cantigas , writing, "Fresco ends on a unison but doesn't 'resolve' its argument in quite the same way; it may prove a tougher nut to crack."