Tevot

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Tevot is a one-movement orchestral work by British composer Thomas Adès. It was commissioned by the Berlin Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall. The world premiere was performed by the Berlin Philharmonic under Simon Rattle at the Berliner Philharmonie on February 21, 2007, and the United States premiere followed at Carnegie Hall on November 14, 2007.

The piece lasts about 22 minutes and unfolds in a single continuous movement. The title Tevot comes from the Hebrew word for "bars of music." In describing the work, Adès has connected the idea of bars carrying notes like a family through the music with broader images of the earth as a ship carrying us through space. He saw Tevot as one large journey that requires abrupt shifts in mood and place to feel real, and he has spoken of a strong, urgent need to complete it.

Tevot requires a very large orchestra, including extensive woodwinds (five flutes with several players doubling other instruments, five oboes with English horn and bass oboe, five clarinets with doublings, four bassoons and contrabassoon), eight horns, five trumpets, three trombones, two tubas, two timpanists, six percussionists, harp, piano (doubling celesta), and strings.

Critics widely praised Tevot. The work was called one of the most powerful new pieces at its premiere, and the US premiere in New York was described as an instantly essential new work. Reviews highlight its eerie, energetic opening, intense build, and a long, evolving middle section that never settles into simple calm. Some reviewers admired its bold, volcanic energy and dramatic progress, while others found it relentless or too grand.

A recording of Tevot conducted by Simon Rattle with the Berlin Philharmonic was released by EMI Classics on March 23, 2010. The album also features Adès’s Violin Concerto and other works.