In Motu (In Motion)

Intercontinental Ensemble is comprised of nine talented musicians from different parts of the world who found common situ in Amsterdam. They play together in what was once a very traditional ensemble grouping—a nonet. Historically, the nonet allowed for some expansive music-making where a larger ensemble was simply not available to be assembled. Traditionally comprised of wind quintet, violin, viola, cello, and contrabass, the nonet is capable of playing a broad catalog of music.

For In Motu, the ensemble begins with two works from the core nonet literature, both written in 1959: Nino Rota's brilliant and expressive Nonetto and Bohuslav Martinu's love-letter to his homeland Nonet No. 2. Both are lively, ingratiating works, filled with joie de vivre. These are then followed by Mendelssohn's sunny, vibrant Italian Symphony (Symphony No. 2) in one of Intercontinental Ensemble's own arrangements.

Intercontinental Ensemble plays all three of these works with a lively, joy-filled energy, and in excellent partnership. Over the several years since the release of their first album, the group has matured and grown more facile in their interplay. In this recording, they are truly playing seamlessly as an ensemble, not a collection of nine separate voices.

The nine-member Intercontinental Ensemble consists of four strings and five winds. Their young members come from different countries and continents: Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Besides playing original nonet repertoire, the musicians focus on their own arrangements of well-known classical pieces.

The album starts with the evocative music of Rota, known primarily as a film composer. What is special is that this time he does not have to bend to a director and can go his artistic way unhindered. Martinu’s nonet is a musical love letter to his native Czech Republic, which he had to leave at an early age and to which he can no longer return. Mendelssohn’s famous Fourth Symphony is, as is well known, a nostalgic account of his Italian journey.

Few ensembles make such a varied and surprising musical journey as the ever-moving Intercontinental Ensemble.