Adès, Thomas: Violin Concerto ‘Concentric Paths’

Thomas Adès’s Violin Concerto ‘Concentric Paths’, written in 2005, is one of the most important additions to the violin concerto repertoire since Ligeti’s. Cast in three contrasting movements – each linked by a preoccupation with circling musical figures – the concerto, subtitled ‘Concentric Paths’ now occupies a place in standard repertoire. Two lithe, rhythmically driven movements – Rings and Rounds – bookend Paths, an intensely emotional and gritty exploration of passacaglia-like sequences, which peaks in a lyrical outpouring of exceptional beauty. ‘In just 20 minutes, this three-movement piece does something magical. The way it swirls ethereally in the first movement, exerts a tragic and vice-like grip in the chaconne-like second part and finally propels you into the uninhibited flight of the finale is like being spun into an infinite space.’ The Guardian (Tom Service)