Michael Finnissy's Andersen Liederkreis

Kate Molleson explores some of the latest sounds in New Music.
Explore Ensemble gives the world premiere of Alex Paxton’s Spit Crystal Yeast-rack, dripping (Á l’orange), a roller coaster ride at constant risk of coming off the rails. As the title suggests, the piece isn’t about anything in particular, but creates its own paradoxical world of teeming multicolour life, absurdity, Boschian sarcasm, and exuberance. Also tonight, Mimi Doulton sings Michael Finnissy's Andersen Liederkreis at the Spitalfields Festival. Written in the wake of a visit to Hans Christian Andersen's house, Michael Finnissy says that this forty-five minute work "reclaims some of the poems, travelogues and surreal paper cut-outs he saw there and reworks them into a set of Lieder in which the dominant themes are song, clothes, appearances and death." There's also a new track - Death is Standing Above the Skies' from Cedrik Fermont's latest album, a new track from Julia Reidy and the show ends with one of Eliane Radigue's ongoing cycle of OCCAM pieces; this one for the Breton piper Erwan Kervec.

Michael Finnissy: Andersen Liederkreis
I The Bird Incarnating Song
II Hjertets Melodier – Melodies of the Heart
III For the album of Madame Grove, nee Fenger
IV Spørg Amagermo’er 1871 – Ask Old Mother Tot!
V Hjertesuk af en udtjent Damekjole / Heartfelt sighs from thrown-out ladies’ clothing
VI Martsviolerne – Maerzveilchen – March-violets
VII Tyveknaegten – Muttertraum – A mother’s dream
VIII Soldaten – The soldier
IX Keiserens nye Klaeder – The emperor’s new clothes
X Rosenknoppen 1836 – The rose-bud
XI Recension 1830 – Critique
XII Da jeg saa hende igjen 1844 – When I saw you again