Love Songs-Dedicated to Ensemble Recherche

During preparations for their 25th anniversary in 2010, the Ensemble Recherche came to the conclusion that "There are no love songs anymore!" So they requested such pieces for the celebration from various composer friends. The response from the invited composers was very strong: More than 30 love songs were written in the process and more are in progress. One could almost speak of a new "trend". Accordingly, the list of composers for the love song cycle reads like a "Who's Who" of New Music.At the same time, the compositions were as various as the personalities of the participating artists. The first thing to be noticed is the range of diverse kinds of love that have been depicted: Appropriate musical correspondences were found for the entire spectrum from "agape" (selfless devotion) to "eros". Sometimes a composer's feelings of friendship for the ensemble are involved; at other times one participates in the passions - even those of a physical kind - of a composer. In addition, the range of the submitted compositions extends from solo pieces with accompaniment, via trios and quartets, to "traditional" ensemble pieces - and beyond.