Thomas Larcher Symphony No. 2 'Kenotaph'; Die Nacht der Verlorenen* *Andrè Schuen (baritone); Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Hannu Lintu Ondine ODE 1393-2 65:15 mins
Thomas Larcher’s Symphony No. 2 started life as a concerto for orchestra, as is evident from its richly woven textures. The subtitle Kenotaph identifies it as a memorial to refugees who have drowned while crossing the Mediterranean – an on-going tragedy that had captured international attention when Larcher was composing the work in 2015. This is not a programmatic piece, although the subject matter can be felt through the frequently unsettling four movements (the Adagio in particular evokes seascapes and suffering).
Larcher’s language is rooted in the Austro-German symphonic tradition with use of 21st-century colour (for example, the varied percussion – carefully mixed on the palette rather than splashed about as afterthought). The chaotic Gerald Barry-meets-Mahler Scherzo is painstakingly realised by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra; a style reflected in the final Allegro. Kenotaph was warmly received at its UK premiere at the 2016 Proms, and its first recording deserves a similar reception.
The song cycle Die Nacht der Verlorenen (The Night of the Lost) for baritone and large ensemble uses text by Ingeborg Bachmann, a writer who Larcher has set before (Das Spiel ist aus). As in Kenotaph, the ensemble features some unexpected members, such as accordion and prepared piano. Hannu Lintu ensures that Andrè Schuen’s earthy vocals are always uncluttered; the mood is one of relentless devastation (‘Ich habe die Wand gesehn und geschrien in meinem weissen weissen Bett, an das keiner kam’ – ‘I have seen the wall and howled in my white white bed, which no one visited’).
Claire Jackson
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