With their own arrangement of Schubert’s iconic string quartet at its heart, the record features a brand new commission from newly-appointed ROH Composer in Residence Oliver Leith, alongside a poignant work by Tavener and a tribute to the ensemble’s time in Iceland with a heart-felt arrangement of a song by Sigur Rós.
12 Ensemble recently joined Elena Tonra (vocalist/guitarist of Daughter) for a unique, reimagined performance of her solo record as Ex:Re at Kings Place in London and in March 2020 12 Ensemble return to Kings Place for Four Seasons Recomposed, which is part of a specially curated programme of works by Max Richter.
Their intensely collaborative approach gives the Schubert a freshness and lightness of touch, regardless of the weight of additional players…Having devised their arrangement after performing Mahler’s well-known string orchestra version, they render the work’s ambivalence with particular poignancy: lithe rhythms and subtle inflections of melody and dynamic contrast are set within dark-grained, burnished textures that bring the music richly alive on the bigger canvas.
There’s a peculiar halflit quality to Leith’s writing that’s mesmeric, and I’m eager to hear more from him.
Works Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D810 'Death and the Maiden' Tavener: The Lamb
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