G. ROCHBERG - Symphony 2 / Imago Mundi [CD]

George Rochberg died this year at the age of 86. Until the 1960s he was one of the leading serial composers in the US. Following his son's death, however, he abandoned that hard line modernism for a more naturally expressive style. Both phases are represented on this disc. Rochberg's Second Symphony from the mid 1950s is an impassioned reaction to the experience of the second world war, with real musical integrity. The "ritual" for orchestra Imago Mundi, from 1973, was part of a group of pieces with Japanese connections. It has a hieratic feel, but also a much looser structure and an airy, oriental sense. The symphony is the important piece here.