n Tutuguri - Pome Dans. Wolfgang Rihm. Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR. SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart.

The Rite of the Black Sun is a poem written by Antonin Artaud taken from the radio play Pour en finir avec le jugement de Dieu? This music is to illustrate it.

This recording is striking in its variety. Clashing cymbals, shrieking woodwind and lyrical strings combine to make some dynamic and forceful sounds. The many layers compose a colourful and yet different clamour, from which imagination can compose a picture. Luckily, the poem referred to in the title is printed in full, otherwise the listener might find some difficulty in identifying the meaning and interpretation of the music.

Some of the allegory is grim, with lots of blood and coal black cliff, but the words and the music combine to make a modern composition. This is strictly one of the "new" sounds of the symphony hall; patterns of previously unheard chords and crashing notes with none of the well-worn paths heard before.

There are silences, a nakedness of sound; conflicting resonance and shocking vibrancy to wake you from your reverie; quirky, jolly intersections, which fool the listener to conventionality. Not so, there is no convention.

A modern masterpiece? I'm not sure, but it is certainly very diverse. It's not strictly to my taste, but like all music, you won't know if you don't listen at least once to something new and different.