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.