Jan Vogler / WDR Sinfonieorchester / Cristian Măcelaru MUHLY - HELBIG - LONG "Three Continents" SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 2

THREE CONTINENTS - CELLO CONCERTO No. 2

SVEN HELBIG Tres Momentos

"Tres Momentos" describes a section of the infinite spiral, in which disorder and structure, the sacred and the profane, life and death are mutually dependent. Drone sounds connect three composed moments for string orchestra. 

The composition's lyrical tones contrast with multi-layered noise elements, which ultimately dissolve into a waltz. With this release, Sven Helbig departs from his previously preferred rigorous tonal harmonies, and the electronic components become more prominent. 

The live recording of the concert with Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin will appear on the Neue Meister label on August 10, 2018. Colombian puppeteer Omayra Martinez Garzon produced the music video for "El Tercer Momento". 

With the cover artwork, Sven Helbig quotes the 3,000-year-old Chinese oracle of "I Ching". The trigram stands for the universal, the eternal and for creative power.

SVEN HELBIG Pocket Symphonies

While Sven Helbig's Pocket Symphonies is presented by Deutsche Grammophon as a collection of lavishly produced songs in symphonic guise, the style has more in common with adult contemporary or easy listening categories than with classical music. Despite the appearance of Kristjan Järvi, the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony, and the Fauré Quartet, who bring ample talent and commitment to the proceedings, the album actually consists of lush and occasionally lively instrumentals that no one would mistake for western symphonic music, except for the use of an orchestra. Helbig can't even be described accurately as a crossover artist, because he neither plays with traditional forms nor takes off from classical ideas, but is already firmly set in the sphere of modern studio music. His tracks are arranged to perfection and filled with plaintive melodies, gorgeous sonorities, and rich harmonies, but they offer nothing that suggests symphonic contrasts, modulations, or development. This is no discredit to Helbig, who composes his miniatures with professional skill and presents his themes in digestible pieces, from two to five minutes in length. The dominant mood of the album is introspective and melancholy, with some bursts of activity along the way, and Helbig's titles suggest an autumnal resignation and sentimentality that at times evoke the Romantic composers of short character pieces. This album is sure to appeal to casual listeners who like pretty instrumental music in the vein of Karl Jenkins or Ludovico Einaudi, though it is unlikely to draw in serious classical fans. (Blair Sanderson)

SVEN HELBIG Pocket Symphonies

Sven Helbig is a young German composer equally drawn to classical, pop and hip-hop modes, probably most famous for his orchestrations on Pet Shop Boys' Battleship Potemkin and The Most Incredible Thing. That populist spirit informs this debut release, with emotionally expansive pieces restricted to pop-song length.
The unnatural compression works in some cases like film music, bringing an evocative potency to the likes of “Gone” and “Eisenhüttenstadt. Elsewhere, ”Am Abend“ is a reflective piano piece akin to Einaudi, the weightless rising triplets of ”Autumn Song“ are like leaves borne on breeze, while the chugging strings and urgent double-time piano of ”Frost“ reflect the industrious rhythmic drive of minimalism.