Commissioned by the Berliner Philharmoniker and co-commissioned by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, with generous additional support from an anonymous donor.

First performed at the Philharmonie, Berlin on 5 May 2017 by the Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.

Instrumentation: 1picc+1afl.1ob+1ca.1Bbcl+1bcl.1bsn+1cbsn / 2hn(F).1tpt(C)+1flg(Bb).1tntbn+1btbn.1tba / 1timp.1perc(B.drum,whip) / 2hp / strings

Duration: c. 8’

Scores and parts are available

Link to Berlin Philharmoniker Digital Concert Hall Performance

Noviembre 1913  (Antonio Machado)

Un año más. El sembrador va echando 

la semilla en los surcos de la tierra.

Dos lentas yuntas aran,

mientras pasan las nubes cenicientas 

ensombreciendo el campo,

las pardas sementeras,

los grises olivares. Por el fondo 

del valle del río el agua turbia lleva.

Tiene Cazorla nieve,

y Mágina, tormenta,

su montera, Aznaitín. Hacia Granada,

montes con sol, montes de sol y piedra. 

One year on. The sower casts seed into the furrows of earth.

Two slow oxen plough,

whilst ashen clouds pass overhead, overshadowing the land,

the brown, sown earth,

the grey olive groves. In the depths of the river valley,

the river flows, muddy.

Cazorla has snow, and Mágina, storms,

Aznaitín its cloth cap.

Turning to Granada,

sunny mountains, mountains of sun and stone. 

[Translation: Simon Holt]