Poema - 2. Terra Nova

Alexander Shelley: Conductor
Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra
Analekta AN28892

Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra continues its ambitious series of Strauss tone poems with Poema - 2. Terra Nova, an imaginative pairing that sets Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra alongside Ian Cusson's 1Q84: Sinfonietta Metamoderna.

Under Music Director Alexander Shelley, this second volume explores works united by their quest for meaning and understanding. Strauss's 1896 masterpiece, inspired by Nietzsche's philosophical treatise, examines humanity's relationship with nature and eternal truths. Cusson's contemporary response probes similar territory through the lens of Haruki Murakami's metaphysical novel, 1Q84, with its parallel worlds, fractured identities, and unsettling boundaries between reality and illusion.

Cusson, of Métis (Georgian Bay Métis Community) and French Canadian descent, creates an intricate sound world that loosely follows Murakami's narrative structure, with thematic material connected to characters and plot. His relatively brief work proves immediately engaging, opening with a captivating introduction before developing approachable yet sophisticated orchestration that echoes the novel's thematic concerns. His skilful deployment of full orchestral forces demonstrates both imagination and craftsmanship.

The Strauss receives an assured reading from NACO, who navigate its familiar architecture with conviction, bringing careful attention to dynamic shading and achieving an impressive tonal range throughout.

This is a thoughtfully conceived release that successfully opens dialogue between past and present.