Commissions to Geoffrey Gordon

To mark its 150th anniversary, the Sinfonieorchester Basel has awarded two commissions to Geoffrey Gordon. Icarus, a concerto for clarinet and orchestra, and the orchestral work Salt will receive their world premieres in February 2027. Both works draw on Greek mythology for their subject matter.

The composition Icarus takes up the story of Icarus, who realizes his dream of flying but meets his downfall at the limits of human hubris. The three-movement structure follows a clear musical dramaturgy. The first movement, Flight, explores ascent and movement and paints a picture of flight. The second movement, Fall, depicts Icarus’s descent. Three variations illuminate this moment from different perspectives. The concluding movement, Lament, is dedicated to mourning the loss of Icarus.

Salt is also inspired by Greek mythology and was conceived as a companion piece to Icarus. The myth of Icarus has a well-documented aspect (if one flies too close to the sun, the wax wings melt). In addition, there is a lesser-known warning: if one flies too close to the surface of the sea, the salty sea foam will wet the feathers—with the same catastrophic consequences. Geoffrey Gordon’s short composition Salt, an intense four-minute work for orchestra, offers a musical response to this second warning—the dangers of the salty sea. Salt thus serves as a kind of mirror image to Icarus.

The commissions to Geoffrey Gordon are made possible by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Further information:
sinfonieorchesterbasel.ch

Dates

February 24 & 25, 2027
Stadtcasino Basel