Search - Erkki-Sven Tuur, Dennis Russell Davies :: Erkki-Sven Tüür: Flux

Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tuur is one of today's brightest lights, creating works that combine drama, mystery, and emotional directness within complex structures. His music is listener-friendly; its rhythmic life, deep textures, and compelling sound world reward repeated listenings. The Symphony No. 3 is in two movements, the first building from barely audible cymbal splashes to jazz-like plucked basses to scurrying strings and chaotic winds, rising to a shattering brass-led climax that gives way to delicate coloristic effects. Those first four minutes are typical of Tuur's music, pulsating with energy and unexpected blocks of sound. The Cello Concerto is just as fetching; Gergingas's lyrical soliloquizing blends nicely with the imaginative orchestration. Lighthouse, for strings, is a contemporary take on the baroque and makes a fine filler. Highly recommended. --Dan Davis