A Padmore Cycle for tenor and piano (2010/11)

24′
Texts: Hans Aschenwald, Alois Hotschnig
WP: 14.05.2011, Margreid (I), Winery Alois Lageder, Festival VIN-o-TON 2011 | Mark Padmore (tenor), Thomas Larcher (piano)

I. Ich schreibe (I will write)
II. Almauftrieb (Transhumance)
III. Hart am Herz (Hard at Heart)
IV. Familie Numero Drei (Family Numero Three)
V. Hunger nach Heimat die keine mehr ist (Hunger for a Homeland That No Longer is One)
VI. Los los (Come on, come on)
VII. Ferdl (Freddy)
VIII. Und beim Weggehen schmilzt aus den Augen der Schnee (And as they leave, the snow melts from their eyes)
XI. Lange zögern die Steine (The stones hesitate for a long time)
X. Dein Wort mein Blinderhund (Your word is my guide dog)
XI. Der Körper des Vogels am Weg (The bird’s body on the path)
poems nr. 1-8 by Hans Aschenwald, poems nr. 9-11 by Alois Hotschnig. English translation by Tess Lewis.

Programme note
Larcher’s original work for tenor and prepared piano is shaped closely around the text of short poems and fragments collected by the composer. Despite its fragmentary nature a continuum is created, each ‘song’ led seamlessly on to the next by a thread of sound.