Philanthropy Hauschka Artist

{|Volker Bertelmann|}'s career as a composer for film and television skyrocketed in the 2020s as he garnered accolades including the Academy and BAFTA Awards for his score to 2022's {|All Quiet on the Western Front|}, but {|Philanthropy|} proves his ... Read more

{|Volker Bertelmann|}'s career as a composer for film and television skyrocketed in the 2020s as he garnered accolades including the Academy and BAFTA Awards for his score to 2022's {|All Quiet on the Western Front|}, but {|Philanthropy|} proves his work as {|Hauschka|} is still thriving. Appearing four years after {|A Different Forest|} found him stepping away from the prepared piano in favor of soothing, thoughtful pieces performed on a pure piano, {|Philanthropy|} evokes its predecessor on poignant pieces like Limitation of Lifetime and Loved Ones. More often, though, the album takes a wider, more varied perspective as {|Hauschka|} interprets big-picture concepts and virtues in his detailed style. It's a pleasure to hear him reunited with the prepared piano on Diversity, which fizzes with counterpoint so dizzying that it recalls the player pianos he used on the similarly whimsical {|What If|}. Here and on Inventions -- which also calls to mind his wry take on dance music, {|Salon des Amateurs|} -- {|Bertelmann|} presents the most typical version of {|Hauschka|}'s sound (if there can be such a thing). Likewise, Searching's plunging synths and wandering melody conjure visions of feeling around for something just out of reach, and the mix of precision and wonder within Science fits its subject to a T. However, {|Philanthropy|}'s standout moments often defy convention. The warmth Magnanimity exudes is tender, not showy, suggesting that kindness that doesn't call attention to itself is the most genuine. {|Hauschka|} makes seemingly similar concepts distinct on {|Philanthropy|}, using dubby, ricocheting percussion and a jazzy melody to describe Generosity and prickling rhythms to animate Altruism (these two pieces are all that remains of a collaboration with {|Mum|} drummer {|Samuli Kosminen|} that the COVID-19 global pandemic sadly cut short). Most intriguing of all might be Noise. A piece initially intended for the {|All Quiet on the Western Front|} score, its spectral blur of brass, electronics, and piano stands apart from the intricate sounds on the rest of the album but reflects {|Bertelmann|}'s expressive approach just as clearly. In much the same way, {|Philanthropy|} captures the discipline and creativity that make {|Hauschka|} a singular project and {|Bertelmann|} a sought-after composer. This is music that gives listeners' ears and minds a workout, and it should delight longtime {|Hauschka|} fans as well as those won over by {|Bertelmann|}'s scores. ~ Heather Phares Less