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dda 25047 |
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THOMAS FORTMANN: Three major works from the renowned Swiss composer Thomas Fortmann - including the first CD recording of his chamber works Ladyboy and Tango Catolico, which have been very popular in broadcast performances. In Requiem for an Unborn Child we hear a work which has received enormous acclaim in Europe - challenging, uncomfortable words, eclectic and distinctive yet completely accessible musical language which draws much upon the German music-theatre tradition of Weill and cabaret-song. |
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| playing time: 62.07 direct sale price: £12.00 audio sample: Requiem (opening) |
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review extracts: for full reviews click here | ||
“[Fortmann’s] compositional style is rather complex; he draws on techniques established by the likes of Schoenberg and Hindemith, but does not imitate them directly, thus making a language that is truly all his own. The Tango Catolico (for string quartet) is fascinating work that amazingly morphs an almost liturgical sound into a vibrant tango. The centerpiece of the album is Fortmann's "Requiem for an Unborn Child," a rather ominous-sounding subject matter to be sure. Scored for clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and soprano, the sparse texture and effective text-painting allow listeners to focus on the meaning Fortmann is trying to get across.” Performance ×××× Sound ×××× - Mike Brownell (All-Music) |
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| “Thomas Fortmann has achieved what repeatedly eludes others, here and in America. Within his first few opening bars one is aware that the music possesses an integral sense of direction, sure compositional integrity, and a degree of emotional content that immediately engages the attention. Fortmann's Tango Catolico, a two-movement, nineteen minute 'dance-chorale', grows in its stature with increasing acquaintance, invariably a compelling yardstick. Received with widespread acclaim in Europe, Requiem for an Unborn Child combines absorbing, discomfiting words, and heterogeneous, distinctive composition; it's an unconventional yet approachable musical language drawing upon German music-theatre tradition. Thomas Fortmann has crossed the divide separating pop from modern classical music. Best of all, he hasn't plummeted into the chasm separating both, and littered with the fallen.” - Howard Smith (Sound & Vision) | |||