Adès: Asyla

Thomas Adès rose to prominence as a composer in the early 1990s, championed by Simon Rattle. His Chamber Symphony, written when he was just 19, showcases his musical wit and talent for ear-catching instrumental combinations, while in his 1997 score Asyla, a substantial piece of four movements, Adès experiments with techno music. Rattle, who premiered the work, shows it off to thrilling effect in this CBSO recording (he later re-recorded it with the Berlin Philharmonic). The Concerto Conciso is a riveting, compact piece for 10 players that sparkles with nervous energy. These Premises Are Alarmed, another virtuoso work for large orchestra, teems with invention, while the more salutary …but all shall be well, the title from T. S. Eliot’s Four Quartets, is a more delicate work that recalls the grandiose orchestration of Britten’s War Requiem. It’s a tantalising work that brings with it great rewards.