Philip Sparke's Trombone Concerto was written for Olaf Ott, principal trombonist with the Berlin Philharmonic. The concerto is in traditional three-movement form and the whole work could be seen as a dramatic soliloquy for the soloist, who starts in earnest and agitated mood but, as the concerto progresses, is able to take a more optimistic tone before ending the work with what could be called a “symphonic samba.”

Movement 1 begins darkly until the solo part introduces a more positive theme -...