Barbara Hannigan & Ludwig Orchestra - La Passione - Presto Classical

As so often with Hannigan's albums, this programme’s infinitely more coherent in practice than it appears on paper: the Haydn may look like the odd man out, but in fact the segue from Nono’s hypnotic monologue for solo soprano feels strangely organic, and the performance of the symphony is shot through with the same febrile energy that Hannigan brings to the outer works. The highlight, though, is the haunting Grisey cycle, which received its premiere under the baton of Sir George Benjamin and inhabits a similar orchestral soundscape to his subsequent operas (two of which included bespoke roles for Hannigan).