This release captures a 2014 concert by the
Royal Northern Sinfonia
, the last one conducted by
Thomas Zehetmair
. The notes explain that the program is intended as "a resume and a departure," terms that could apply both to the program's relationship to
Zehetmair
's tenure and, in different ways, to the works on the program.
ends his music directorship with a bang, with a sharp, intense
Beethoven
Symphony No. 5, Op. 67
. His wife, violist
Ruth Killius
, contributes an unusually dark
Bartok
Viola Concerto
before that, giving the
special impetus. Perhaps the most intriguing performance, and the one most in tune with the
ECM
label's usual ethos, is the opening
That Subtle Knot
, a double concerto by
John Casken
. The title comes from
John Donne
, and one movement of the work uses the violin and viola to depict a pair of lovers on a riverbank. The harmonic language is modern, but there are hints of the Renaissance and of old folk song. The program, as a whole, does exemplify the fresh programming
brought to this ensemble, and it makes a fine tribute. No explanation is forthcoming as to why nine years were required to bring it out (the album appeared in 2023), but one may be grateful that it finally appeared. ~ James Manheim