Influenced by Grisey, Murail and Xenakis, Niels Rosing-Schow (b. 1954) writes music in which timbre and colour are as important as theme and harmony. His works unfold like blossoming flowers, and his early interest in improvisation brings a sense of interdependent, conversational instinct to the three concertos and two ensemble works on this release. His sources of inspiration are many, including ecological concerns, and his material is realised with a calligraphic, aerated clarity and sense of functionalism in which no note, timbre or colour is wasted.

Niels Rosing-Schow’s music is formed both by the Danish New Simplicity and his studies of the musical spectralism in Paris, resulting in a characteristic focus on instrumental timbre and colour.

The new album presents five ensemble works by Rosing-Schow composed during the last two decades.

The title work All Right!? A Talk of Our Time is a concerto for pianists using only their right hand. The work is a reflection on time and the score includes excerpts from a speech given by Greta Thunberg, using a rhythmic transcription of her words in the music.

The last work on the album Unspoken – unheard was written in 2020, when protests against societal injustice were rising up. The workis dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement and includes excerpts from speeches by Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Jamie Fox and Mehreen Faruqi as echoes of history.

Athelas Sinfonietta was founded in 1990 and is one of the leading Danish new music ensembles. The soloist parts on the album are performed by saxophonist Jeanette Balland, pianist Manuel Esperilla and flautist Hélène Navasse.