The Dutch composer Louis Andriessen (1939-2021) left behind a staggeringly extensive body of work, hallmarked by a novel radicalism. Working hand in hand, Ensemble Offspring and Asko|Schönberg’s program for their Sydney Festival performance celebrated his work alongside that of Andriessen’s students and those inspired by him.

Asko|Schönberg. Photo © Yaya Stempler.

Opening the concert, Andriessen’s Elegy was made passionate, Romantic under cellist Blair Harris and pianist Alex Raineri – a rare glimpse of pure emotion from Andriessen, handled carefully and made to soar. 

Hectic Tulips, by Damien Ricketson, received its world premiere here, a rhythmic game of cat-and-mouse accompanied by skittering electronic sounds that panned between two speakers overhead. Jason Noble (clarinets) and Claire Edwardes (percussion) donned headphones for a performance marred by issue of synchronicity between the two players. Noble’s execution was piercing, acute and the piece itself engaging, but a failure to lock in dragged the work down. 

Ensemble Offspring excelled in David Lang’s sweet air, however. The balance between each member was tightly considered...