Dennehy's Limina pairs two concertos with propulsive, body-inspired energy

Donnacha Dennehy's album Limina features pianist Eliza McCarthy in a three-movement concerto named after body parts, exploring thresholds between them. The Violin Concerto, performed by Stephen Waarts, offers a bravura display, especially in its outer movements. Both works are grounded in the harmonic series yet feel liberating and dynamic.

The album brings together two works composed three years apart, both performed by the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland under Ryan McAdams. Limina's three movements trace a path from the brain downward, with the piano shifting from bright upper-register textures to deeper, more abrasive sounds in the final movement. The Violin Concerto's middle section features the soloist floating above the orchestra in slow, weightless gestures.

Both pieces share Dennehy's characteristic rhythmic momentum, with the concerto's finale described as generating its own sense of gravity. The recording marks McCarthy's collaboration with the composer and showcases Waarts's technical command across the demanding outer movements.