Various Artists - Thomas Fortmann: Gimme Twelve (2020)

Thomas Fortmann is a Swiss composer who in the 1970s had a very successful career as a writer of rock music and also as an international golfing star! Over one hundred songs were recorded and released in 27 countries. At age 26 he abandoned this career to study formal composition and has since built a reputation - and almost a cult following for eclectic and unique music which fuses postmodernism, serial techniques, rock and jazz with hints of circus and cabaret styles too. This new album contains chamber works and one organ piece; the title of the organ work and the album reflects the fact that while not strictly serial, each piece uses all twelve motes of the chromatic scale. Pieces are inspired by literature (Murder of a Buttercup) and historic events (Grafeneck 1940) as well as personal experiences. A number of excellent European ensembles perform this program of works in the unique Fortmann style.