Rosner: Orchestral Music, Vol. 3

The musical language of the New York-based Arnold Rosner (1945–2013) had its roots in the modal harmony and rhythm of pre-Baroque polyphony. It evolved in an array of unusual directions, producing a style that is instantly recognisable and immediately appealing – as can be heard in the three works on this album, all receiving their first recording. Rosner’s Nocturne suggests the immensity – and the implacable violence – of outer space. His overture Tempus Perfectum has its starting point in Renaissance dance. The monumental Sixth Symphony opens with music of volcanic ferocity and vehemence; the central Adagio then provides an island of troubled calm before the dignified opening of the finale presages a symphonic Allegro of wild, freewheeling energy; only when its immense force is spent does this powerful masterpiece sink to an uneasy close. This is the third volume of the Toccata Classics survey of the orchestral music of Arnold Rosner, with more projects in the pipeline