Beamish: Caliban

Description

Sally Beamish's Caliban for Orchestra was written specifically to be performed outdoors and in spaces outside of the traditional concert hall. Based on her earlier work Caliban for saxophone and piano (EP72930), this new 5-minute orchestral version features a strong presence of saxophones which represent the character of Caliban from 'The Tempest' – Shakespeare's play that Beamish turned into a ballet for Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2017. The music is edgy and rhythmic, with a central section revealing a more reflective moment, indicating that, in spite of his abrasive nature, one of the most beautiful passages in the play is delivered by Caliban (‘Be not afear'd; the isle is full of noises').