Dublin-born Donnacha Dennehy (1970) is one of the most prominent composers to emerge on the nascent new music scene in Ireland. The pieces represented here show an impressive expressive range. His music is not identifiable with a single aesthetic, but it has a definite urban sensibility and sounds connected to the industrial aspect of
Bang on a Can, with an added element of amplified grunge, while being compositionally sophisticated and virtuosically demanding. Glamour Sleeper, for mixed ensemble and electronics, instructs the performers to "attack violently but with panache," and that's a pretty good indication of the mood and effect of the piece. Junk Box Fraud inhabits much the same aggressive and explosive sound world, but with vocals, a strong techno ambience, and an off-kilter zaniness. Paddy, a colorful and kinetic percussion solo expertly performed by Tatiana Koleva, relies heavily on the metallic resonance of pipes and industrial scrap. Elastic Harmonic, for violin and orchestra, is the most impressive piece on the collection, and the most lyrical, but it has its share of turbulence and drivenness and minimalist repetition, with moments that call to mind a heavily caffeinated
John Adams. Dennehy's music receives committed and energetic performances from
Ensemble Intégrales, violinist
Darragh Morgan,
RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gavin Maloney, pianist
Joanna MacGregor, and Dennehy's own
Crash Ensemble. NMC's sound is immaculate. The dynamism and inventiveness of Dennehy's voice make him a composer with strong potential to become a significant presence on the international music scene.