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
… Read moremusic 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. Hide
