| Oliver Knussen conducts two works by American composer Charles Wuorinen. Cyclops 2000 was recorded at the world premiere performance in the Queen Elizabeth Hall in 2001, A Reliquary for Igor Stravinsky, which uses fragments of Stravinsky’s work left unfinished at his death, was originally released on a Stravinsky disc by DG.
‘A distinct curiosity but a rewarding one, the New York composer’s Cyclops 2000 advances in ‘fits and starts’ (his own words) through one dynamic 25-minute movement towards a dramatic climax. Written for the London Sinfonietta, and recorded live at its world premiere in the QEH in 2001, its exuberant twists and turns are superbly negotiated under Oliver Knussen. On the orchestra’s own label, the work is coupled with Wuorinen’s tribute to Stravinsky, incorporating fragments written in the last months of the Russian’s life’ - (Anthony Holden The Observer) |