Thomas Larcher: The Living Mountain

Sarah Aristidou (soprano), Alisa Weilerstein (violoncello), Luka Juhart (accordion), Aaron Pilsan (piano), Münchener Kammerorchester, Clemens Schuldt (conductor), Andrè Schuen (baritone), Daniel Heide (piano)
© ECM 2023

Works

The Living Mountain for soprano and ensemble (2019–2020)

Introduction
I At first, mad to recover the tang of height
II As I reach the highest part of my dark moor
III In September dawns I hardly breathe
IV Once on a night of such clear silence
V Further up it is all snow

Ouroboros for violoncello and orchestra (2015)

I Allegro
II Allegro infuriato
III Adagio · Allegro

Unerzählt for baritone and piano

Austrian composer Thomas Larcher’s new album features premiere recordings of three strongly contrasting works. The Times has hailed Larcher’s music as a world “of haunting landscapes and dreams, stylistically disparate but fused by the composer’s astonishing ear and quizzical attitude to traditional forms”, a description borne out by the compositions here. The Living Mountain, for soprano and ensemble, draws upon the memoir of the Scottish poet and nature writer Nan Shepherd. Unerzählt is an intimate song cycle for baritone and piano, deploying texts of German writer W.G. Sebald. And Ouroboros, named for the serpent of eternity, is a powerful piece for cello and chamber orchestra. Recorded in Munich and Weerberg in 2021 and 2022 and produced by Manfred Eicher, The Living Mountain is the fourth New Series album of Larcher’s compositions.