Deep Purple ~ Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
Deep Purple were ranked number 22 on
VH1's
Greatest Artists of Hard Rock programme and a British radio station
Planet Rock poll ranked them 5th among the "most influential bands ever". At the 2011
Classic Rock Awards in London, they received the Innovator Award.
Deep Purple ~ Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
cover design: Castle, Chappell & Parners Ltd.
reel-to-reel tape box cover
photo by Styrous©

Concerto for Group and Orchestra, composed by
Lord, with lyrics written by
Gillan,
was first performed on September 24, 1969 and released on vinyl in
December 1969. The 1969 performance was the first ever combination of
rock music
and a complete orchestra and has been cited as paving the way for other
rock/orchestra performances.
Deep Purple ~
Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
- First movement (Moderato - Allegro)
- After an elaborate orchestral introduction the Group and the Orchestra
work as separate blocks, trying to get dominance over the main theme -
this opposition of a group of soloists against an orchestra is quite
"concerto grosso" style.
Deep Purple ~ Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
- Second movement (Andante), with lyrics sung by Ian Gillan
- Here the group integrates more with the sound of the
orchestra while still clearly on top of the orchestral texture, giving a
sinfonia concertante look and feel.
Deep Purple ~
Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
- Third movement (Vivace - Presto)
- Apart from Ian Paice's
drum solo, the music is so tightly knit that the distinction between
the group and the orchestra is almost lifted: in a way the group becomes
part of an extended orchestra, with one elaborate "solo" passage, by an
instrument that is no soloist throughout the movement, giving a
concerto touch: this is more or less what is understood by the Concerto for Orchestra genre.
Deep Purple ~ Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
Original 1969 Royal Albert Hall performance
The Concerto was first performed and recorded on September 24, 1969 in the
Royal Albert Hall, London.
The programme consisted of:
No. Title Performer(s) Length
1. "Symphony No. 6, Op. 95" (Malcolm Arnold)
1st Movement: Energico (9:19)
2nd Movement: Lento (8:52)
3rd Movement: Con Fuoco (7:02)
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 25:13
2. "Hush" (Joe South) Deep Purple - 4:42
3. "Wring That Neck" (Ritchie Blackmore, Nick Simper, Jon Lord, Ian Paice) Deep Purple - 13:23
4. "Child in Time" (Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Lord, Paice) Deep Purple - 12:06
5. "Concerto for Group and Orchestra" (Jon Lord, with lyrics by Ian Gillan)
First Movement: Moderato-Allegro (19:23)
Second Movement: Andante (19:11)
Third Movement: Vivace-Presto (13:09)
Deep Purple with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 51:43
6. "Parts of the Concerto's "Third Movement" (Given as an encore.) 5:53
Deep Purple ~
Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
The
Concerto for Group and Orchestra was performed one more time, with the
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by
Lawrence Foster at the Hollywood Bowl on 25 August 1970, after which the score was lost. After the
score was lost in 1970, it was performed again in 1999 with a recreated
score from a project started by keyboardist Jon Lord, who sought to recreate
the band's original 1969 album with the help of Marco de Goeij, a
fan who was also a musicologist and composer, the two painstakingly
recreated the lost score.
Track listing:
Concerto for Group and Orchestra (Jon Lord, with lyrics by Ian Gillan)
Side 1:
First Movement: Moderato-Allegro (19:23)
Second Movement: Part one- Andante (19:11)
Side 2:
Second Movement: Part two - Andante (continued)
Third Movement: Vivace-Presto (13:09)
Warner Brother Records
September 24, 1969
Deep Purple ~ Live At Royal Albert Hall, 1969, video on YouTube
reel-to-reel tapes on eBay