Classics Today 10/10; Fono Forum: Stern des Monats.
This album features chamber works by Scottish composer James MacMillan, performed by the Emperor String Quartet and clarinetist Robert Plane. The program includes *Why is this night different?*, MacMillan’s Second String Quartet, inspired by the Jewish Passover Seder and the themes of liberation, fear, and celebration. The music integrates childhood melodies with intense, dramatic contrasts, culminating in an explosive scherzo and an ethereal conclusion.
*Tuireadh* (Gaelic for “lament”), written for clarinet and string quartet, is a deeply expressive elegy for the victims of the 1988 Piper Alpha oil-rig disaster. The work combines Scottish folk influences with haunting keening sounds, high clarinet shrieks, and moments of both restrained grief and outbursts of raw emotion.
*Visions of a November Spring*, MacMillan’s First String Quartet, reflects his transition to a personal musical language, balancing avant-garde techniques with lyrical openness. The album also includes *Memento*, a short work inspired by the Gaelic psalm-singing tradition of the Hebrides, offering a meditative and reflective contrast.
This recording highlights MacMillan’s ability to blend modernism with emotional directness, making his chamber works both challenging and deeply moving.
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