Henze: Hommages

HENZE Sonata for 6 Players . Margaret Waltzes. Ländler . La mano sinister. Epitaph. Toccata mistica . Trio in 3 Movements. Ode to the 12th Apostle. An Breton. Piano Piece for Reinhold . Serenade. Adagio adagio • Ens Recherche • WERGO WER 6727 2 (68:51) Ensemble Recherche (note: not “recherché”) is a small new-music group based in Freiburg. This disc—titled Hommages —is its tribute to Henze. Two major chamber-music works—Sonata for Six Players, and (string) Trio in Three Movements—are stashed among the miscellany. We are accustomed to large-scale Henze on disc: opera, symphony, oratorio, and various dramatic works; the 10 minor pieces here are mostly tributes or birthday celebrations for friends. Ranging from less than two minutes to nearly five, they are solo works for piano ( Margaret Waltzes, La mano sinister, Toccata mistica, Ode to the 12th Apostle, Piano Piece for Reinhold ), violin (Ländler, Serenade), viola ( An Breton ), or cello ( Epitaph ). These are general