Feldman reviews

Steven Osborne’s previous successful recordings of late Stravinsky and Messiaen have arguably been good preparation for both Feldman and Crumb. Still, at first blush, this seems a rather odd combination. While both are American composers who established themselves more or less in the same decades of the late 20th century, there are some striking differences.

From mythical Persian rugs to uncertainty theory, this programme displays the variety of ways in which composers have approached works for violin and piano in the 20th century.

It is a disc that balances extremes: the hushed chill of Feldman’s Spring of Chosroes with the excess of Xenakis’s frenetic Dikhthas; the austerity of Schoenberg with the ebullience of BA Zimmerman, though the lack of middle ground means this is a collection of works some listeners will find hard to love. 

The four voices of the Hilliard Ensemble – countertenor, two tenors and baritone – sound uniquely themselves whether in medieval or contemporary music. The 12 composers featured on this double album provide a rich variety of invention that through its fascinating amalgam of past and present promises further treasure to come.

The four voices of the Hilliard Ensemble – countertenor, two tenors and baritone – sound uniquely themselves whether in medieval or contemporary music. The 12 composers featured on this double album provide a rich variety of invention that through its fascinating amalgam of past and present promises further treasure to come.

Roger Heaton’s collection of contemporary music for clarinets comprises works by eight leading composers, all written within the last 15 years, including two which were specially composed for this disc. The music is stylistically varied, ranging from the one-and-a-half-minute Rational Melody No. 1 by Tom Johnson, a repeated six-note melody played by a solo bass clarinet, to the large-scale ensemble works of Steve Reich and Gavin Bryars.