Thomas Ades has served as artist-in-residence with the Halle Orchestra since 2023, appearing as composer, conductor, and pianist. His performances included new works from himself and admired contemporaries. The collection features four of his compositions alongside William Marsey's Man With Limp Wrist and Oliver Leith's Cartoon Sun. Notable pieces include Aquifer, a substantial 17-minute movement, and two shorter works, Shanty and Dawn, created during the lockdown. The disc also highlights Marsey's evocative narrative and Leith's exhilarating processional, although Ades' Tevot performance was not included.
Aquifer, written for Simon Rattle and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, is a densely packed 17-minute movement with enough ideas to power a symphony twice as long.
Tower for Frank Gehry serves as a fanfare, while both Shanty and Dawn showcase the innovative use of repeated phrases from a lockdown composition period.
Marsey's Man With Limp Wrist unfolds as a musical narrative in eight scenes, inspired by paintings, creating an evocative succession of musical ghosts.
Leith's Cartoon Sun presents a wacky processional with huge climaxes, leaving an exhilarating impression, despite Ades' Tevot missing from this collection.
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