The music of
Aribert Reimann (born 1936), one of the most prominent German composers of the second half of the twentieth century, is notable for its graphic and very effective depiction of bleakness. His most famous opera is based on King Lear, and the desolation and existential despair of the play are ideally suited to the composer's expressive palette. The works recorded here, two for baritone and orchestra and one for baritone and piano, are based on texts by
Paul Celan and are evidence of the same grim aesthetic. Zyklus and Kumi Ori, the orchestral pieces, are stylistically virtually indistinguishable, even though they were written almost 30 years apart. Each begins with an extended solo for the singer, who is eventually joined by sparse, jagged accompaniment.
Reimann's vocal lines are angular and tormented, but he writes with an understanding of what is and is not possible for the human voice to reasonably do.
Reimann is clearly skilled at creating sound worlds of relentless, crushing angst; it will depend on the listener's temperament whether or not he or she will want to accompany him on his dark journey. Baritone
Yaron Windmüller negotiates the grueling vocal part with security and manages to sustain a full, warm tone, but his vibrato is a little wide. The
Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by
Günter Herbig, and pianist Axel Bauni play with appropriately dark, atmospheric expressiveness.