Although he had been composing since his adolescence – and by age 25 had authored the soundtrack of various films and radio shows – it was not until nearly 30 that Bruno Maderna (1920-1973) tried his hand at orchestral music. The Fundación BBVA-NEOS Collection brings together his complete works for orchestra in two volumes, as performed by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra with Arturo Tamayo at the helm.

The techniques mastered in earlier forays into choral, vocal and chamber music and, above all, in his instrumental pieces were now put to work on more complex compositions in search of what Maderna considered his ideal of “absolute melody”. The Bartókian influences present in his work until the late 1940s give way here to an inspiration combining his love for the great pioneers with his fascination for the new expressive possibilities discovered during his time at Darmstadt in the company of various New Music champions. Chief among them was Luigi Nono, who would remain his best friend until the end of his days. Together they explored the limits of the twelve-tone system and, later, random music, serialism and electronic music. This past-future duality can be heard in ‘Composizione I’ and more powerfully in ‘Composizione II’, where he inserts one of the oldest musical passages known to man. These two pieces are joined by Studi per ‘Il Processo’ di Franz Kafka, where he gives rein to his distinctive treatment of the human voice, and ‘Improvvisazione I and II’ which mark a return to the familiar terrain of rhythm and dance.

Performances by:
hr-Sinfonieorchester/Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra

Conductor:
Arturo Tamayo

CD Audio:

1. Composizione n.1 (20:42)
2. Composizione n.2 (14:51)
3. Studi per “Il Processo” di Franz Kafka (19:50)
4. Improvvisazione n.1 (10:37)
5. Improvvisazione n.2 (07:00)

Total time: 73:02