"Walden consists of a series of musical sketches inspired by Henry David Thoreau's 1854 novel of the same name", is how Heiner Goebbels describes the project in brief. But anyone familiar with the work of the German transmedia conceptual artist and composer knows that things are never that straightforward with Goebbels. In his 1998 composition Walden, written for extended orchestra with narrator, Goebbels weaves together a broad range of influences and approaches: fragments from Thoreau's "Walden", soundscapes in the spirit of radio dramas, an arsenal of unusual instruments and sound arrangements equally at home in the avant-garde and popular music. All of this is brought to life under the direction of Peter Eötvös and with Bob Rutman – a central figure in this project – in the role of narrator. Rutman is also heard in a more declamatory role: emphatically exclaiming, occasionally singing in the Khoomei technique, and ultimately becoming part of the orchestra itself by playing the steel cello and the bowed vibraphone – both instruments he developed himself. In his accompanying text, the composer explains that he originally conceived of this work as a "counter-design to the metropolitan images of Surrogate Cities (1994)". "Nevertheless, my view of Thoreau's text is far less idyllic, and my relationship to his concept of nature is more detached than the source suggests. For me, Walden is a play about the tension between withdrawal and openness – between individual self-discovery and the constant presence of the outside world. It is not a romanticized vision of nature, but rather a reflection on the circumstances of our existence today." From trip-hop echoes and fascinating ambient structures to impressive orchestral climaxes at the outer reaches of contemporary composition, Walden stands as a testament to Heiner Goebbels' visionary compositional style at the height of his career – and remains one of the most innovative chapters in his oeuvre to date.