With "Songs from the Last Years, " the Maxim Gorki Ensemble brings its tenure to a close, a retrospective, a legacy, and a new beginning all at once. After 13 years under the artistic direction of Shermin Langhoff and nearly 500 performances, the album brings together 24 recordings—mostly live—capturing only a fraction of an extraordinary musical universe. Released as a double LP on Clouds Hill.
Recorded in the historic hall of the former Sing-Akademie, the album possesses a special aura. Here, where Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy once sparked the Bach revival and artists like Clara and Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms worked, history meets the present. This tradition is palpable without ever feeling overwhelming—rather, it becomes part of a vibrant, multilingual soundscape. Musically, an impressive spectrum unfolds: from Georges Bizet to Nick Cave, from John Lennon to Hanns Eisler. Sung and played by a diverse ensemble featuring voices such as Sesede Terziyan, Jonas Dassler, and Daniel Kahn, the music creates a soundscape that transcends fixed categories. Instruments like the kanun, oud, and saz broaden the spectrum and lend the music a transcultural depth. The interplay between choir, duet, and solo is particularly moving. When voices unite in unison, a sense of collective strength arises; in intimate moments, individual vulnerability is revealed. From these contrasts, a new, shared beauty emerges.
