Christian Ridil, a German composer, choir director, and musicologist born in Breslau in 1943, is represented here primarily by chamber music for wind instruments, though the piano and strings also have their place.

As its title suggests, the woodwind quartet Kommunikationen (Communications) explores understanding and connection. The flute, oboe, B-flat clarinet, and bassoon attempt to communicate in various ways. Consensus is not always reached immediately; there are also moments of tension. Yet for the most part, a harmonious mood prevails.

The septet Lachen und Weinen zu jeglicher Stunde (Laughter and Tears at Any Hour) refers in its subtitle to the well-known Schubert song (D 777), which is quoted in an altered form only in the final movement. The work’s fragmented structure stems from a personal experience.

Even among just three players, harmony does not always prevail. The flute, B-flat clarinet, and horn in F offer passages of accord as well as eruptions marked by razor-sharp, rhythmically complex interjections.

Mobile musicale for two oboes and bassoon takes its inspiration from the mobiles often found hanging in children’s rooms—those delicate structures whose suspended elements move freely.

In Cadenza senza Concerto, Ridil has created room for a soloist’s virtuosity—and often vanity—with the viola taking the solo role here. Although he includes melodic elements, he dispenses with the concerto itself. Even at the end of the cadenza, one has the impression that the soloist would like to prolong the performance indefinitely rather than lead back into the concerto.

The sextet Aspra, whose title combines aspera and astra, suggests a desire to resolve conflict while conveying opposing movements in which highs and lows confront one another. Here, winds, strings, and piano come together.

Ensemble Modern, run democratically by its own musicians, approaches these works with its customary care and a palpable sense of curiosity and energy. The musicians consistently draw on decades of experience to produce lucid, clearly structured textures. Here, too, they give vivid shape to the works’ expressive content, making it readily accessible to the listener.