Louis Andriessen: The only one

Featuring

Nora Fischer
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Louis Andriessen

Did you know?

1/7

Composer's Artistic Vision

Louis Andriessen often avoids writing for a full string orchestra, preferring a reduced section, stating that "Six violins per part can already make enough noise."

Composition History

The composer, Louis Andriessen, chose to use poems by Flemish poet Delphine Lecompte from her first publication, "The Animals in Me," for this work.

Performer Biography

Nora Fischer, the soprano on this recording, is known for attracting attention through both her classical and pop music projects.

Compositional Technique

The main musical motif of "The only one" is a dotted rhythm, a musical iamb (short-long, short-long), which appears in various forms throughout the piece.

Composition History

Louis Andriessen's work "The only one" was commissioned by Chad Smith, CEO of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as part of the orchestra's centenary celebration.

Interpretation

Nora Fischer's performance practice for "The only one" fuses the expressivity of a pop singer like Björk with the cabaret tradition of Kurt Weill.

Compositional Technique

Louis Andriessen's orchestral lineup for "The only one" includes bass guitar and guitar, which is uncommon for orchestral works, with the exception of film composers.