Max Richter Exiles (Baltic Sea Philharmonic, Kristjan Jarvi)

Max Richter’s Exiles is a moving tribute to people across the world fleeing war and their suffering. Written in response to the humanitarian crisis arising from the Syrian civil war, the album’s 33-minute title work is an atmospheric wash of sound, its stillness underpinned by a gentle, insistent walking beat. Gradually, the music edges towards a joyful climax, before finally coming to rest. All of which benefits from a beautiful full orchestration, performed by the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, who also offer new versions of five Richter classics. Among them is a rich, ominous performance of “The Haunted Ocean”, from his acclaimed soundtrack to Waltz With Bashir, the 2008 animated documentary on the 1982 Lebanon War. There’s also Richter’s most famous piece, “On the Nature of Daylight”, from the composer’s second album, The Blue Notebooks. Here, it shines anew, its lament for the victims of the 2003 Iraq War all the more poignant.