Höhenflug

It roars, gurgles and bubbles, in free flow, then slowed or dammed. Thomas Adès descends to the depths of the earth, where water travels through porous rock formations known as aquifers. A huge orchestra transforms continuous motion into sound, thundering in spectacular colours and unleashing such overwhelming energy that it sounds as if the water were running upwards, suspending the laws of gravity. Also, it’s audible evidence that the great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius was one of Thomas Adès’ essential role models from the beginning. His music carried Adès through early crises in life, teaching him about infinite musical arches and the breadth of the horizon in all its delicate shades of colour. Thus, it is only logical that Thoams Adès should conduct the performance of Sibelius’ last completed symphony, all in one movement. One of the greatest pianists of our time unleashes flights of fancy, while always connected to the keyboard: Kirill Gerstein pulls out all the stops, allowing the piano to triumph in brilliance, to groove and swing. Music by Thomas Adès has many faces and facets.