HK Gruber into the open… (world premiere) / BBC Philharmonic, cond. by John Storgards / BBC Proms
"HK Gruber’s new percussion concerto, “into the open...”, was the centrepiece of the BBC Philharmonic’s Prom next night under John Storgards. A single movement of about 25 minutes, it has the soloist — the tireless Colin Currie — scurrying between tuned instruments on one side of the platform and a drum circle on the other. The orchestral writing is arduous and virtuosic, the form unfolding in a continuous development, not unlike a Birtwistle score.”
Sunday Times, July 2015
“Soloist Colin Currie, wonderful and heroic, darted among his 24 instruments... Vibraphone and marimba shimmered, cowbells tinkled, congas popped — all radiating distinct pitches often shared with the equally colourful orchestra.”
Times, July 2015