Donnacha Dennehy's latest album, Limina, pairs two concertos that showcase his signature blend of rhythmic grounding and harmonic-series fascination, resulting in music that feels both firmly anchored and exhilaratingly free. The album, released on Nonesuch, features pianist Eliza McCarthy in the title work and violinist Stephen Waarts in the Violin Concerto, with the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland under conductor Ryan McAdams.
Limina: A Body-Mapped Concerto
Written in 2023, Limina is a serious piece born from a playful concept: its three movements are each named for a part of the body, staking out one area before moving to the threshold, or limina, of the next. The work opens with 'Head,' where synapses fire high up the keyboard in sparks and glitter. The music then travels downwards, its frenetic energy dissipating as it moves toward 'Chest.'
The 'Chest' movement evokes breathing, not through regular rhythms but through gentle palindromic phrases that swell in and out and sigh back towards the same bass pitch. The final movement, 'Nervous System,' begins deep in the gut with coarser sounds—low piano vamping and slapped bowing from the strings—before eventually escaping its tether and dispersing around the keyboard.
Violin Concerto: Bravura Performance
The Violin Concerto, written in 2020, is equally propulsive. The outer movements provide a workout for Stephen Waarts, who delivers a bravura performance. In the middle movement, his violin soars, pushing off from the orchestral support to trace slow, weightless somersaults in the air.
The finale offers a thrilling sense of motion creating its own gravity. As with much of Dennehy's writing, the music seems held together by centrifugal force, a quality that makes the performance feel both spontaneous and meticulously controlled.
Album Highlights and Execution
McCarthy is a powerhouse soloist throughout Limina, bringing clarity and energy to the demanding piano part. The National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, under McAdams, provides sparkling execution that complements the soloists' intensity.
The album is available on Apple Music and Spotify, offering listeners a chance to experience Dennehy's distinctive voice in contemporary classical music.
