Concerto for Group and Orchestra

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Concerto for Group and Orchestra
Concerto for Group and Orchestra cover
Studio album by Deep Purple
Released December 1969
Recorded September 24, 1969
Genre Classical/Rock
Length 59:26
Label Harvest Records (UK)
Warner Bros. (US)
Producer(s) Deep Purple
Professional reviews
Deep Purple chronology
Deep Purple
(1969)
Concerto for Group and Orchestra
(1969)
Deep Purple in Rock
(1970)


The Concerto for Group and Orchestra is a concerto performed by Deep Purple and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Arnold in 1969, composed by Jon Lord. It was the first Deep Purple recording to feature legendary vocalist Ian Gillan. A video recording of this concert was released on DVD in 2003. It has also been performed by Australian band, George, with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, also conducted by Malcolm Arnold.

Contents

The Concerto for Group and Orchestra displays some characteristics of the concerto grosso, sinfonia concertante, and concerto for orchestra genres:

  • First movement (Moderato - Allegro): after an elaborate orchestral introduction the Group and the Orchestra work as separate blocks, trying to get dominance over the main theme - this opposition of a group of soloists against an orchestra is quite "concerto grosso" style.
  • Second movement (Andante), with lyrics sung by Ian Gillan: here the group integrates more with the sound of the orchestra while still clearly on top of the orchestral tissue, giving a sinfonia concertante look and feel.
  • Third movement (Vivace - Presto): apart from Ian Paice's drum solo, the music is so tighly knit that the distinction between the group and the orchestra is almost lifted: in a way the group becomes part of an extended orchestra, with one elaborate "solo" passage, by an instrument that is no soloist throughout the movement, giving a concerto touch: this is more or less what is understood by the Concerto for Orchestra genre.

Live concert in the Royal Albert Hall (London), performed by:

See inset above

This release only contained the "Concerto", with the second movement broken in two halves.

The 1990s saw a CD release including the "Wring that Neck" and "Child in Time" songs by Deep Purple, recorded during the same concert.

In 2003 EMI released a special edition DVD-A of Concerto for Group and Orchestra, featuring the entire program of music played that night:

  • The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Arnold
    • Malcolm Arnold's 6th Symphony Op. 95:
      1. "1st Movement": Energico 9:19
      2. "2nd Movement": Lento 8:52
      3. "3rd Movement": Con Fuoco 7:02
  • Deep Purple:
    • Songs:
      1. "Hush" (Joe South) 4:42
      2. "Wring that Neck" (Blackmore, Lord, Paice, Nick Simper) 13:23
      3. "Child in Time" (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice) 12:06
  • Deep Purple with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Arnold
    • Concerto for Group and Orchestra:
      1. "First Movement": Moderato-Allegro (Lord) 19:23
      2. "Second Movement": Andante (Lord; lyrics by Gillan) 19:11
      3. "Third Movement": Vivace-Presto (Lord) 13:09
      4. "Encore - Third Movement": Vivace-Presto (Part) (Lord) 5:53

On 26 and 27 September 1999, 30 years after its first performance, the Concerto for Group and Orchestra was again performed by Deep Purple, before a live audience in the Royal Albert Hall.

The recording of the entire concert was released on a double CD as Deep Purple In Concert with the London Symphony Orchestra.

1969 performance (& recording)
1999 performance (& recording)
v  d  e
Deep Purple
Ian Gillan | Steve Morse | Roger Glover | Don Airey | Ian Paice
Ritchie Blackmore | Jon Lord | David Coverdale | Joe Lynn Turner | Tommy Bolin | Glenn Hughes | Rod Evans | Nick Simper | Joe Satriani
Discography
Albums : Shades of Deep Purple | The Book of Taliesyn | Deep Purple | Deep Purple in Rock | Fireball | Machine Head | Who Do We Think We Are | Burn | Stormbringer | Come Taste the Band | Perfect Strangers | The House of Blue Light | Slaves & Masters | The Battle Rages On | Purpendicular | Abandon | Bananas | Rapture of the Deep
Live albums: Inglewood - Live in California | Concerto for Group and Orchestra | Kneel & Pray | Scandinavian Nights | Gemini Suite Live | Space Vol 1 & 2 | Made in Japan | Deep Purple In Concert | Made in Europe | Live in London | California Jamming | Just Might Take Your Life | Perks And Tit | Mk III: The Final Concerts | Last Concert in Japan | King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents: Deep Purple in Concert | This Time Around: Live in Tokyo | Nobody's Perfect | In the Absence of Pink: Knebworth 85 | Come Hell or High Water | Live in Europe 1993 | Live at the Olympia '96 | Live at Montreux 1996 | Total Abandon: Live in Australia | In Concert with the London Symphony Orchestra | Live At The Rotterdam Ahoy | The Soundboard Series
Videos and DVDs: Concerto for Group and Orchestra | Special Edition EP | Live In Concert 1972/73 | Rises Over Japan | Live in California 74 / Live at the California Jam | Come Hell or High Water | Bombay Calling | Live at Montreux 1996 | In Concert with the London Symphony Orchestra | Total Abandon Australia '99 | New, Live & Rare | Perihelion | Live Encounters
Compilation Albums: Purple Passages | 24 Carat Purple | When We Rock, We Rock, and When We Roll, We Roll | The Mark II Purple Singles | Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple | The Anthology | 30: Very Best of Deep Purple | Days May Come and Days May Go | Listen, Learn, Read On | Winning Combinations: Deep Purple and Rainbow | Deep Purple: The Platinum Collection
Related articles
Rainbow | Blackmore's Night | Ian Gillan Band | Gillan | Trapeze | Black Sabbath | Garth Rockett & the Moonshiners | The Javelins
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