deFilharmonie . Otto Tausk

These last ten years, conductor Otto Tausk and cellist Alban Gerhardt have become high-profile names in the classical music establishment. Britten's 'Cello Symphony' (1963) grew out of the English composer's friendship with the renowned Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. In the score, Britten explores the twilight zone between symphony and solo concerto, in its four movements weaving the solo line of the cello inextricably into the colourful embroidery of the orchestra. 'Body Mandala' (2009) by Jonathan Harvey is likewise of a British hue. Harvey's tonal idiom is characterized by a spiritual quest for the elementary particles of sound. Computer-assisted sound analyses and overtone analyses enter into an unearthly covenant with Buddhist insights and Eastern philosophy. A selection from Debussy's 'Préludes' for piano is heard in an arrangement by composer Luc Brewaeys, who gives rich orchestral colour to the black and white piano keys.