Tilson Thomas: From the Diary of Anne Frank & Meditations on Rilke

With Michael Tilson Thomas approaching the end of his tenure with the San Francisco Symphony, the orchestra treated their music director to a recording of his own music. These two recent works reveal a strong musical voice that really knows how to connect with an audience. The poignant yet ultimately optimistic Anne Frank setting, for narrator and orchestra, uses diary entries to chart an often painful narrative. There are echoes of Stravinsky, perhaps, in MTT’s writing here. The six Rilke poems, set for mezzo and bass-baritone, are elegant and cool to match the (German) words. Wonderfully evocative performances.