ECM Records THOMAS LARCHER: THE LIVING MOUNTAIN CD

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.

FEATURED ARTISTS

Sarah Aristidou Soprano

Alisa Weilerstein Violoncello

Aaron Pilsan Piano

Luka Juhart Accordion

Andrè Schuen Baritone

Daniel Heide Piano

Münchener Kammerorchester

Clemens Schuldt Conductor

RECORDED

June 2021 & May 2022