Like his friend Iannis Xenakis, Croatian composer Ivo Malec found the unique convergence of techniques and technologies in postwar Paris ideally suited to his creative needs. French developments in the 1950s of musique concrète, electro-acoustic music, and explorations of the sonic spectrum contributed importantly to Malec's music, and his experimentation in those early years still bears fruit in these masterful works of the 1990s. Certain resemblances exist between Malec's and Xenakis' orchestral works, particularly in the forward deployment of percussion and powerful, block-like sonorities in the winds; yet Malec's orchestration is more transparent and simplified, as is the case in Sonoris causa (1997) and the retrospective collage Exempla (1994). Perhaps his most viscerally exciting work is the high-strung violin concerto Ottava alto (1995), which Raphaël Oleg performs with intense energy and concentration, evident in his precise bowing and sheer dominance over the rapid-fire rhythms surrounding him. The Luxembourg Symphony Orchestra, brilliantly directed by Arturo Tamayo, presents Malec's works with much of the same care and quality that they display in their dazzling recordings of Xenakis' orchestral works, which are also available on Timpani. For its scrupulous documentation of important modern repertoire, polished presentations, and terrific sound quality, this praiseworthy label warrants serious attention from aficionados of the avant-garde. ~ Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide
