Political poems and new songs
Composer Hans Werner Henze was born a hundred years ago, yet his work remains relevant today. In 1974, *Voices* premiered, performed under his own direction by the London Sinfonietta—a song cycle set to political poems from very diverse sources and eras, which is musically just as eclectic. In 2026, the work returns to the London Sinfonietta's music stands, but this time Nathalie Joachim and Karmit Fadael, among others, are adding new songs to Henze's original work. Like conductor Christian Karlsen, they give Henze's work a contemporary charge.
Time for a new revolution?
The composition is based on political poems, each text of which is reinforced and questioned by a different musical style. Themes such as exploitation, alienation, and the oppressed position of the worker still resonate today. Circumstances may have changed, but the question remains: is man becoming alienated from himself, his environment, and society once again? Is it time for a new revolution? Perhaps the new voices on this program offer the beginning of an answer…