Ten works. Ten soundscapes. One unmistakable voice.
With „Gefunden“ Israeli-American composer Amos Elkana presents an extraordinary album that impressively reflects the diversity and depth of his work in contemporary music. The ten works, performed by outstanding soloists, oscillate between poetic intimacy, virtuoso brilliance, and electroacoustic soundscapes.
The titular work Gefunden (2006) is a very personal homage to Elkana’s grandmother, who recites Goethe’s poem of the same name in German and Hebrew, captured with all the ruptures, memories, and nuances of her life. From there, the album spans a range to radically different soundscapes: Cembalo Fractals and Cadenza unfold fascinating structures, inspired by fractal geometry and rhythmic virtuosity, while Labyrinth explores the limits of pianism in a single minute.
With Zanshin for four double basses and Mushin For flute and electronics, Elkana delves deeply into Far Eastern concepts of mindfulness and consciousness, interweaving meditative silence with intense energy. Politically pointed in Judgment Day, a powerful exploration of social tensions. Opus Focus and Prita combine instrument and electronics to create complex textures, and the duet Mostly Cloudy reflects the events of October 7, 2023 in a touching dialogue between two violins.
Amos Elkana, born in Boston in 1967 and raised in Jerusalem, is one of the most influential voices in contemporary new music. His works, performed at Carnegie Hall, the Konzerthaus Berlin, and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, among others, combine sound, language, and memory in an open, cosmopolitan dialogue.
„Gefunden“ is more than a collection of pieces. It’s an invitation to immerse yourself in ten very different, yet intrinsically connected sound universes.
Composers in the crosshairs of our attention