Himmelsrandt - Allusionen

Despite being meant as references, or allusions, to particular musical styles, Himmelsrandt's songs never seem mindlessly derivative nor parodic, but rather authentic interpretations of classical music in a modern world.

Allusionen, German for allusion, is the title of Himmelsrandt's latest chilling album release. The approximately forty-minute long album is comprised of nine tracks, alternating between pieces for piano and Trautonium, an early synthesizer, and songs for unaccompanied viola. Himmelsrandt is the name under which composer/violist Peter Honsalek writes and releases his work, described as a "modern classical music project". Honsalek's writing is reminiscent of many clichés which come to mind when imagining 'contemporary classical music', but is soundly rooted in traditional practice and musical integrity (listen to the entire album here).

Alternating between the sound worlds of two contrasting solo instruments is quite the compositional challenge, and Himmelsrandt pulls it off perfectly. The piano/Trautonium pieces are designed to reflect specific days when Honsalek composed the viola tracks throughout the winter of 2019-2020. In its own way, Allusionen is literally a musical allusion to the act of creation, the definition of metamodernism. It is rare of a contemporary composer to go back in time and revive deceased instruments such as synthesizers from the early thirties, and even rarer for them to use them effectively. Honsalek's Trautonium is never more than a beautifully haunting buzz coming out of the background, adding intensity to the piano. In such a way, Honsalek deserves commendation not just for his performance, but also his skills in the recording and mixing booth.

The true charm of Allusionen, at least in my own mind, is Honsalek's superb interjecting "Allusions" for viola. Himmelsrandt is able to show off their prowess in the art of both composition and performance by creating short, yet incredibly virtuosic songs which invoke upon specific great composers old and new, from Bach to Glass. Despite being meant as references, or allusions, to particular musical styles, Himmelsrandt's songs never seem mindlessly derivative nor parodic, but rather authentic interpretations of classical music in a modern world.

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originally written and published 13 February 2022

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