Concerto Grosso Concert Band - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1536232

Margaret Sutherland was one of the most innovative and influential Australian composers. In the first half of the twentieth century, her desire to be both serious composer and mother was atypical, and she faced significant challenges – public and private – in blending these roles. Against the backdrop of an unhappy and unsupportive marriage and a society not yet ready to accept her creative ambitions and strong views on Australia’s musical development, she remained admirably steadfast in pursuing her goals. Sutherland created over two hundred compositions, ceaselessly campaigned on behalf of Australian music and musicians, and led the initial push to construct what is now Arts Centre Melbourne. In her attempts to redefine beauty in music she used idiosyncratic musical language, being at the mercy of ‘sound pictures’ and ‘floating ideas’. This 'Concerto Grosso' was originally composed for solo violin, viola, harpsichord (or piano), percussion and string orchestra, but has been adapted to spread the musical material around the whole ensemble. This vibrant, complex work, demands close attention throughout, but will be worth the effort. Arranged as part of an ongoing project to bring more music by women into the worldwide concert band repertoire.