Pneuma presents five distinctive pieces by British composer Martin Iddon, performed by specialist new music ensembles. The set includes “pneuma.sarx” for Trio Atem (flute, voice, cello), “pneuma.kharis” (flute, cello, voice), “Danaë” (solo piano, Catherine Laws), and two works for larger instrumentations. Iddon’s music occupies unique territory, weaving together sparse, breathy textures and sudden shifts in color and gesture, drawing frequent reference to medieval and early Renaissance models - not in direct quotation, but in subtle modal shapes and the ritual use of voice and timbre.
In the “pneuma” series, ensemble lines blur in slow, floating harmonies and haunting glissandi: flute phrases and soft vocal tones overlap with spectral cello timbres and moments of tense silence. “Danaë” refracts ancient myth through piano music ranging from percussive clusters to soft, ringing resonances. “hamadryads,” with its extended techniques, builds a forest of frail sound - wood, air, and strings all drifting inside a world of poetic ambiguity. The collection as a whole relies on lucid, site-sensitive performance and a rare attention to micro-timbre; ensemble roles are constantly shifting, becoming breath, resonance, or shadow at the composer’s command.
Iddon’s scores combine intellectual rigor with open, suggestive form: nothing is ever rigid, and performers must create meaning from the smallest inflection. The listening experience is charged with paradox - simultaneously transparent and mysterious, tactile and abstract. Pneuma stands as a brilliant showcase for the composer’s process-driven style and for the interpretative virtuosity of participating musicians; it’s a record that rewards repeat listening, offering ever-new glimpses of beauty in the folds of voice, air, and instrumental resonance.
