The renegade composers of Bang on a Can have been quietly growing up. Even David Lang, the ‘brattiest’ of the bunch, has put aside his youthful cleverness to delve into musically meditative realms that are supremely introspective, even spiritual. Following The Passing Measures, his hauntingly beautiful 45-minute meditation on death for bass clarinet and orchestra (7/01), Lang has turned back the clock for Child, an equally self-reflective look at childhood.

Though each of its five movements was commissioned and premiered by a different ensemble, Child unfolds as a single entity with deceptive simplicity. Lang’s usual compositional approach – a post-minimalist transformation of musical material through rhythmically repetitive textures – suits his subject matter well, with specific themes from one movement reappearing later in another guise, much like memories of past events resurfacing for ruminative evaluation.

The Italian ensemble Sentierri Selvaggi may spin a delicate shimmer on the surface, but they also maintain a focused intensity that draws a listener inward. The tightly kinetic motion of ‘My very empty mouth’ and ‘Sweet air’ opens and broadens in ‘Stick Figure’ and ‘Little Eye’. The music’s tonality does become a bit less distinct, although the added space leaves much more room to contemplate the beauty of each sound rather than its relationship to others.

Perhaps the most telling part of Child is its lack of resolution. Lang seems to appreciate that looking back on certain events will give them, if not full clarity, at least new significance. But definite conclusions are a matter for adults, and Lang’s Child is in no rush for that level of maturity.