Chorale (2001 02) for orchestra is a kind of musical meditation on the chorale Es ist genug from Bach s cantata O Ewigkeit du Donnerwort itself a harmonisation of J R Ahle s 1662 hymn. Nick Kimberley s preface outlines the context of the Bach original and refers to Alban Berg s use of the chorale in his Violin Concerto almost 300 years later. In contrast to both of these works Lindberg s Chorale has no extra-musical agenda. The composer explains that he took the harmonic structure of the chorale and embedded it in his own harmonies. I make an analogy with the rise and fall of the tide. When the tide is in the sea-bed is invisible; but when the tidegoes out you see the rock formation on the sea-bed. Tribute is a short show-piece for full orchestra composed in 2004 as a gift to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Esa-Pekka Salonen s debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
