Album insights
The combination of the works presented here may seem peculiar at first glance, with names like Fauré and Kurtág rarely seen in the same sentence. However, there is a reason behind this unconventional approach. All composers featured on this CD played a crucial role in the artistic development of Thomas Adès, whose Lieux retrouvés was recorded here for the first time. Instead of limiting our program to two or three composers, we decided to present a complete concert program that includes works contributing to the creation of Lieux retrouvés as well as the piece itself. Rather than struggling to explain how each composer individually influenced Mr. Adès, I thought it more appropriate to ask him for brief explanations, which he kindly provided.
The only works here predating the 20th century are the three pieces by Liszt. Although at least Die Trauergondel could easily belong to a much later period, reflecting Liszt's desire to project his imagination into the endless sphere of the future. Liszt's arrangements of the other two works for cello (or violin) are based on early songs, transformed into the sparser language of late Liszt. Romance oubliée, originally composed in 1843, was extensively revised in 1880 for solo piano, violin, cello, and viola (all with piano). The Cell in Nonnenwerth, initially a melancholic lament portraying a singer isolating himself from monastery life in Nonnenwerth, expressed deep personal resonances for Liszt. The fact that he revisited the piece over approximately 40 years—multiple vocal versions, four solo piano versions, one piano duo version, and this arrangement for violin or cello and piano—highlights its significance to him. The Trauergondel also emanated from profound personal emotion, inspired by a premonition of Wagner's death in Venice in 1883 for the first version, and Wagners's actual death for the second, upon which the cello version is based, conveying tragic music, embodying the mournful calls of gondoliers clad in black and the sorrowful prayers of mourners by a dark waterside.
Gabriel Fauré's second cello sonata was composed in 1921 towards the end of his life. Despite his long-standing deafness and declining health, Fauré miraculously crafted music exuding vibrant joy and ecstatic energy throughout the first movement. The slow movement, originally a funeral march commemorating the 100th year of Napoleon's death, was initially composed for a wind ensemble but fittingly fits within this sonata. The final movement is euphoric, potentially portraying a celebration of nature's beauty with its range of wild storms, swirling leaves, and gentle sunshine.
Some of György Kurtág's recent works, including all pieces presented here (except the first), are part of his series titled Signs, Games, and Messages. For Steven: In Memoriam Pauline Mara was composed in response to the news of my wife Pauline's death in 2010—a piece laden with mourning, stoicism, and consolatory prayers, reflecting universal themes.
Kurtág's musical response to Pilinszky's desolate poem "Gérard Nerval" is poignant and gentle, featuring chromatic descending sighs reminiscent of Bach's Sarabande from the fifth Suite, with the final pizzicato chord symbolizing the "fiery needle in the head."
The last two pieces in this collection dwell in the realm of subtle sound; emphasizing the need for the strongest mute, the pieces create an ethereal glow by utilizing simplistic musical patterns mainly composed of descending scales, reducing music to its essence.
"In memoriam" was composed in memory of the esteemed Hungarian music scholar György Kroó, using slow descending scales as footprints into another world, poignantly evoking loss. Kurtág's approach emphasizes inner torment with a gentle touch, exuding both pain and solace.
Regarding Lieux retrouvés, there is a uniqueness to this exceptional piece that defies categorization due to Adès' unconventional style and diverse inspirations—from the composers featured here, Offenbach, jazz, French Baroque, and even minimalism. The composition embodies Adès' personal language, shifting from tranquil waters to tumultuous chaos and breaking waves, mountains and climbers, and a cabaret-like finale filled with dazzling lights and exaggerated excitement.
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