Richter: Voices (CD review)

Max Richter, piano, organ, synthesizers; Kiki Lane, narrator; Robert Ziegler, conductor; Grace Davidson, soprano; Mari Samuelsen, violin solo; Ian Burdge, cello solo; Camilla Pay, harp; Joby Burgess, percussion; plus various other singers and instrumentalists. Decca  B0032383-02.

By Karl W. Nehring

The German-born British composer Max Richter (b. 1966) has made a name for himself by striving to bring together elements of more traditional "classical" music with more contemporary instruments and sounds. His most well-known composition is probably his reworking of Vivaldi's Four Seasons (reviewed by JJP), while perhaps his most notorious composition is his 8-hour overnight opus Sleep. His 2020 release of Voices comes at a time when not only is the world suffering from a deadly pandemic, but also from cynical and sinister political machinations that threaten democratic institutions and societal norms throughout the world. The true, the good, and the beautiful are under attack by small-minded greedy egos in leadership positions. In a small but noble way, Richter’s Voices speaks to this perilous world situation by presenting words of hope and inspiration while reassuring us with some soothing and reassuring music.

Richter is straightforward in his rationale for his unusual composition: “ I like the idea of a piece of music as a place to think, and it is clear we all have some thinking to do at the moment. We live in a hugely challenging time and, looking around at the world we have made, it’s easy to feel hopeless or angry. But, just as the problems we face are of our own making, so their solutions are within our reach, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is something that offers us a way forward. Although it isn’t a perfect document, the declaration does represent an inspiring vision for the possibility of better and kinder world.” You can see a brief video with Richter explaining more about the music and the recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF6No3T2ulY

The work had its world premiere in February 2020, with more than 60 musicians performing live on the  London stage. According to the composer, the music involves a radical reimagining of the traditional orchestra formation. “It came out of this idea of the world being turned upside down, our sense of what’s normal being subverted, so I have turned the orchestra upside down in terms of the proportion of instruments.” He has scored the work for 12 double basses, 24 cellos, 6 violas, 8 violins, and a harp. They are joined by a wordless 12-piece choir as well as Richter on keyboards, violin soloist Mari Samuelsen, cello soloist Ian Burdge, percussionist Joby Burgess, soprano Grace Davidson and conductor Robert Ziegler.

The CD recording of Voices comprises two discs. The first highlights, as you might guess, voices, starting with a recording of Eleanor Roosevelt introducing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The recitation of this document is then conducted by various voices in various languages, with Richter’s music laying down a musical foundation. The second disc consists of the ten musical tracks mixed without the voices. The first disc is interesting to hear, with its blending of voices in many different languages, accents, and timbres along with musical interludes of great beauty. To be honest, though, it is not the kind of CD most listeners would want to play over and over again, making the inclusion of the second disc a welcome addition, for it is a substantial and satisfying collection of well-recorded music that is conducive to thought, relaxation, and straightforward musical enjoyment. Highlights include Richter’s meditative piano complementing Burdge’s earnest cello on track 2 (“Origins), the skillful blending of chorus and orchestra on track 3 (“Journey”), the artful blending of acoustic and electronic sounds on track 7 (“Murmuration”), and the soulful playing of Mari Samuelsen on track 10 (“Mercy”).

The engineering is truly top-notch. Blending orchestra, voices, recordings, electronic effects, and so forth could easily have ended up sounding gimmicky, but the recording comes across as quite natural and easy to enjoy. There is no harshness on top, but plenty of power on the bottom when needed. All in all, Voices is an unusual composition, but a stimulating and satisfying intellectual, emotional, and musical achievement.

Bonus Recommendation: Finnish composer Aulis Sallinen (b. 1935) is hardly a household name, but this BIS recording of three of his works for orchestra by the Malmö Symphony Orchestra conducted by Okko Kamu is well worth an audition. The program opens with Sunrise Serenade, which features trumpeters Kjell-Âke Pettersson and Per Falck. In under eight minutes, this piece creates an atmospheric mood of mystery and anticipation within a spacious sonic setting. Next up is the relatively brief (15:35) Symphony No. 2 (Symphonic Dialogue for Solo Percussion Player and Orchestra), a one-movement composition that highlights the energetic and versatile playing of percussionist Gert Mortensen. But no, the piece is much more than just banging around, it creates a musical world of wonder and mystery. The disc closes with Sallinen’s substantial Symphony No. 6 “From a New Zealand Diary,” which was commissioned by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. The composer vacationed in New Zealand in early 1989 to help prepare himself for composing the work, which he completed in 1990. Its four movements are rich and atmospheric. None of the music on this disc is harsh, dissonant, or random-sounding. Indeed, it is inviting and rewarding, and recorded in excellent BIS sound by engineer Robert von Bahr.

KWN