Danny Elfman’s Violin Concerto ‘Eleven Eleven’ is a substantial four-movement piece completed in 2017; it was co-commissioned by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Elfman wrote the work for Sandy Cameron, a violinist he met while writing for the Cirque du Soleil show Iris in 2011.
Adolphus Hailstork’s Piano Concerto No. 1 was commissioned in 1992 by a consortium of five orchestras, led by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra (VSO). Hailstork, then a close neighbour of conductor JoAnn Falletta, the orchestra’s music director laureate, had become a ‘composer in residence’ with the VSO. Together they gave the first performance in 1997 with Falletta declaring the work ‘one of the greatest American piano concertos since Gershwin’s Concerto in F.’
Sandy Cameron, Violin * Stewart Goodyear, Piano ** Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra JoAnn Falletta
This recording presents brand new concertos from two vibrant and contrasting American composers. Adolphus Hailstork’s First Piano Concerto draws on his African American heritage to create a work brimming with energy and high spirits, reflecting the rich traditions of jazz and blues. The Violin Concerto “Eleven Eleven” by Danny Elfman – renowned for his many film scores – has its roots in the composer’s rock, film and television background, but also illustrates his love for the music of Shostakovich and Prokofiev. In keeping with his famous Batman score, this work is a true violin concerto noir that is both haunting and compelling.
Listen to an extract from Elfman’s Violin Concerto ‘Eleven Eleven’: II. Spietato
About the Artists
Multiple GRAMMY-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta serves as music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and music director laureate of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. As the former, she became the first woman to lead a major American ensemble; and with a discography of over 120 titles, she is a leading Naxos artist. Falletta is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, has served as a member of the National Council on the Arts, is the recipient of many of the most prestigious conducting awards, and was named both Performance Today’s Classical Woman of the Year 2019 and one of the 50 great conductors of all time by Gramophone magazine.
Violinist Sandy Cameron gave the 2017 world premiere performance of “Eleven Eleven”, the violin concerto written for her by Danny Elfman. Special stage appearances include Bach by Beltrami, Cirque du Soleil, Tan Dun’s Martial Arts Trilogy, Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton, global tours with Chris Botti, and a number of Disney productions at the Hollywood Bowl and in international arenas.
Concert pianist, improviser, and composer Stewart Goodyear has performed with many of the major orchestras and chamber music organisations around the world, including the Chicago Symphony under Daniel Barenboim, The Philadelphia Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Christoph Eschenbach, and the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra under Jun Märkl and Kristjan Järvi.
Founded in 1935, the GRAMMY Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) is Buffalo’s leading cultural ambassador, presenting more than 120 classics, pops and youth concerts each year. In March 2018, the BPO became the first American orchestra to perform at the Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw, Poland. In 2022, they made their 25th appearance at Carnegie Hall celebrating the life and works of Lukas Foss, former BPO music director.
‘This latest Fuchs/Naxos disc, marking 15 years of his recording with conductor Falletta, bears real gems. The animated piano concerto is a delightful flight of fancy.’ – BBC Music Magazine★★★★
‘Falletta shapes each score with a fine sense of pacing and balance, making sure that the intimate aspects of Paine’s art receive as much attention as its majestic sonorities.’ – Gramophone
‘I strongly recommend this disc! What a great way to get to know a composer, an orchestra and a conductor who all deserve to be known even more.’ – Audiophile Audition★★★★
‘Falletta deserves kudos for daring to be brisk and for knowing how to build satisfying climaxes. This is the best version of the Second Symphony I have heard.’ – Fanfare
