''Palladio'' is a composition for

string orchestra A string orchestra is an orchestra consisting solely of a string section made up of the bowed strings used in Western Classical music. The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following: the violin, which is divided into first a ...

Karl Jenkins Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins, , Honorary Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales, HonFLSW (born 17 February 1944) is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and composer. His best known works include the song "Adiemus (song), Adiemus" (1995, from the Adi ...

, completed in 1995, with the title referring to the Venetian

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

architect

Andrea Palladio Andrea Palladio ( , ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be on ...

(1508–1580). The work in three movements is in the form of a

concerto grosso The concerto grosso (; Italian for ''big concert(o)'', plural ''concerti grossi'' ) is a form of baroque music in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists (the '' concertino'') and full orchestra (the '' ripieno'', '' ...

Composition

Composed between 1993 and 1995, the piece is a suite of three movements in the form of a

for string orchestra, named ''Palladio'', in reference to the Renaissance architect. ''Palladio'' was published in 1996 by

Boosey & Hawkes Boosey & Hawkes is a British Music publisher (sheet music), music publisher, purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass instrument, brass, string instru ...

. It takes about 16 minutes to perform. The composer comments: "Harmonious proportions and mathematics" play a role in

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

as in

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

. The architect Palladio based his designs on antique Roman models and studied especially the measurements of

Vitruvius Vitruvius ( ; ; –70 BC – after ) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work titled . As the only treatise on architecture to survive from antiquity, it has been regarded since the Renaissan ...

. Jenkins in turn based his music on Palladio's "harmonious mathematical principles". The music, especially the first movement, has been arranged for different ensembles, including wind quintet and wind band. Jenkins made a version for piano and used the motifs of movement I for an

aria In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...

"Exultate jubilate", related to his 70th birthday.

Scoring and structure

The piece in three movements is scored for string orchestra.

Allegretto
Largo
Vivace

Recording

''Palladio'' is featured on a 1996 CD '' Diamond Music'', played by members of the

London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is a British orchestra based in London. One of five permanent symphony orchestras in London, the LPO was founded by the conductors Thomas Beecham, Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a riv ...

, conducted by the composer. It is combined with other music by Jenkins including variations from '' Adiemus'' and his second string quartet. Movement I appears in other collections, such as ''Karl Jenkins & Adiemus: The Essential Collection''.

Commercial use

In 1993, motifs of the first movement, Allegretto, were used for a TV commercial of

De Beers The De Beers Group is a South African–British corporation that specializes in the diamond industry, including mining, exploitation, retail, inscription, grading, trading and industrial diamond manufacturing. The company is active in open-pi ...

entitled "A Diamond Is Forever". In 2023, the Allegretto was used as transition music during an episode of '' The Morning Show'' called "The Overview Effect" (S03 E10).

Escala version

The English string quartet Escala recorded a version of Palladio in 2009 which featured on their self-titled debut album, following their appearance on the second series of '' Britain's Got Talent''. It was released as a single and peaked at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart in the week ending 6 June 2009. The single spent one week in the top 40.

Sephira version

Sephira, the Irish sister violin duo, recorded and released a version of Karl Jenkins' Palladio in 2013 featured on their Limited Edition Eternity EP. Known for their synchronized choreography while playing the violin, the duo has since performed this piece at numerous high-profile corporate events and special engagements worldwide, including performances for members of royalty. Sephira's adaptation of Palladio is frequently featured in exclusive, formal settings, reflecting their involvement in international corporate entertainment.

References

External links

De Beers Diamonds
Arrangement for piano, fortepiano.szm.com {{Authority control Compositions by Karl Jenkins 1995 compositions Compositions for string orchestra Compositions in D minor