This album, *Winter Songs*, presents a compelling collection of 20th and 21st-century wind quintet works, featuring compositions by Brett Dean, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Pēteris Vasks, Arvo Pärt, and Carl Nielsen.
Brett Dean’s *Winter Songs*, written for tenor and wind quintet, is a dramatic and texturally rich setting of poems by e.e. cummings, capturing the stark beauty and complexity of winter. Erkki-Sven Tüür’s *Architectonics I* explores the balance between tonal and atonal structures, with a dynamic interplay of rhythmic contrasts. Pēteris Vasks’ *Music for a Deceased Friend* serves as a deeply personal elegy, filled with mournful yet luminous harmonies. Arvo Pärt’s *Quintettino, Op. 13* from his early period showcases serial and collage techniques in miniature form.
The album concludes with Carl Nielsen’s *Wind Quintet, Op. 43*, a cornerstone of the wind quintet repertoire, featuring bold symphonic textures and a masterful set of variations. Performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet and tenor Daniel Norman, this recording highlights the expressive and technical range of contemporary wind music.
