Cologne-based Ensemble Musikfabrik www.musikfabrik.eu is one of the leading
ensembles for contemporary music. Following the literal meaning of its name,
Ensemble Musikfabrik is particularly dedicated to artistic innovation. New,
unknown, and often personally commissioned works in unusual media are typical
of their productions. The results of their extensive work, that usually takes
place in close collaboration with the composers, is presented in over 100
concerts a year in both Germany and abroad, at Festivals, in their own series
‘Musikfabrik in WDR’ and in regular radio recordings and CD productions.
The musicians themselves take the responsibility for making
all-important decisions. Exploring the capabilities of modern communication
forms, and new possibilities for expression in musical and theatrical areas,
are a focal point. Interdisciplinary projects that can include live
electronics, dance, theatre, film, literature and creative artists, along with
chamber music, and the confrontation with works using open form and
improvisation, extend the traditional conducted ensemble concerts. Discussion
concerts and the experimentation with alternative concert forms involving
audience participation are also part of this.
The ensemble’s guest list includes Mark Andre, Louis
Andriessen, Stefan Asbury, Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Unsuk Chin, Péter Eötvös,
Brian Ferneyhough, Heiner Goebbels, Toshio Hosokawa, Michael Jarrell, Mauricio
Kagel, Helmut Lachenmann, David Lang, Liza Lim, Benedict Mason, Mouse on Mars,
Carlus Padrissa (La Fura dels Baus), Emilio Pomàrico, Enno Poppe, Wolfgang
Rihm, Peter Rundel, Rebecca Saunders, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Ilan Volkov and
Sasha Waltz.
The latest release in
Wergo’s www.wergo.de Edition Musikfabrik 08 Graffiti
features works by Unsuk Chin, Olga Neuwirth and Sun Ra.
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| WER 6861 2 |
Unsuk Chin (b.1961) www.boosey.com/composer/unsuk+chin was born in Seoul, South Korea and has
lived in Berlin since 1988. Her music has attracted international conductors
including Simon Rattle, Gustavo Dudamel, Kent Nagano, Esa-Pekka Salonen, David
Robertson, Peter Eötvös, Neeme Järvi, Markus Stenz, Myung-Whun Chung, George
Benjamin, Susanna Mälkki, François -Xavier Roth, Leif Segerstam and Ilan
Volkov, among others. Though modern in language, there is a lyrical
communicative power to her music.
With Unsuk Chin’s Graffiti
(2012-2013) für großes ensemble the composer recognises that street art has
been accepted as a true art form and here she ‘trails her hand along the walls
of buildings, translating the palimpsests and frictions of the architecture
into a musical thriller.’ Here Ensemble Musikfabrik are directed by Peter Rundel
http://en.karstenwitt.com/peter-rundel
.
In three movements Palimpsest
opens on held string chords that increase and fade with pizzicato phrases
before leading into a rather scurrying passage, full of grating, sharp textures
as the theme develops. There are sudden short outbursts where a bell is heard
and a piano motif that leads to a huge rapid downward scale. There are many
fine textures from the strings and bubbling woodwind passages before the music rises
through faster surging passages with a myriad of textures, colours and timbres.
Fleeting instrumental motifs are briefly heard with many sharp, brittle
instrumental sounds as well as vivid contrasts between quieter passages and the
more dynamic moments. Towards the end the music picks up a fast forward moving
momentum full of bright, pin point textures before quietening to the coda.
Tubular bells and percussion open Notturno Urbano out of which emerges a woodwind theme, taken by the
strings in this strange atmospheric, nocturnal landscape. There are sharp edged
chords that appear and blend into the most wonderful dissonant harmonies as the
music slowly moves forward. There are sudden staccato outbursts from various
instruments, before the brass sound rasping chords; the music falls back with tubular
bells sounding again with hushed primeval grinding textures before we are suddenly
cast into the final movement.
Passacaglia has little
staccato chords from a variety of instruments creating a kaleidoscope of
colours and timbres with percussion forming a dominant role. It rises in
dynamics, briefly, before resuming the staccato chords. It rises again through
some terrific dynamic colours and vivid textures before a cry from the brass
ends the work.
This is a spectacularly fine performance of music that is
brilliantly orchestrated and infinitely fascinating.
Olga Neuwirth (b.1968)
www.olganeuwirth.com was born in
in Graz, Austria and studied composition in Vienna at the Vienna Academy of
Music and Performing Arts under Erich Urbanner as well as at the
Electroacoustic Institute. She went on to study music and art at the San
Francisco Conservatory of Music with Elinor Armer before studying with Tristan
Murail and working at IRCAM. Earlier in her career, Neuwirth met the Italian
composer Luigi Nono, whose similar radical politics had a strong influence on
her life. In 2000, Neuwirth was appointed Composer-in-Residence of the Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra of Flanders, Antwerp, and in 2002 she was appointed
Composer-in-Residence at the Lucerne. In
2008 she was awarded the Heidelberger Künstlerinnenpreis (Heidelberg Prize for
Female Artists).
Olga Neuwirth’s trumpet concerto Miramondo Multiplo… (2007) Fassung für Trompete und Ensemble
‘…both thematises and heals a trauma.’ In five movements Aria Dell Angelo opens with a bold outburst from the ensemble before
the trumpet of Marco Blaauw www.marcoblaauw.com
enters soon leading to a fast and furious theme around which the soloist weaves.
At times the trumpet blends textures with the ensemble; at others he takes his
own line. There is a slower section with trumpet and brass having a
conversation, before a more flowing melody for the trumpet and ensemble arrives
soon broken up by the ensemble. Strange harmonies and textures lead on, before the
solo trumpet with more than a hint of jazz style is heard, but soon falls to a
low pitch as though disintegrating.
Aria Della Memoria
rises out of silence with strange sounds from the ensemble almost as though tuning
yet with a harmony and structure, on the edge of melodic and discordant, which
is most appealing. The trumpet can soon be heard, muted, taking the theme along
with the ensemble before slowly the trumpet emerges from the textures to play a
whimsical theme, again rather jazz inflected, developing with the ensemble into
a slow flowing melodic theme before a sudden end.
Aria Dell Sangue
Freddo arrives with a dynamic, almost fairground jollity in its wild
harmonies and motifs before developing a more rhythmic insistent nature. A quieter section soon arrives though retaining
a rhythmic quality. The music has further quieter moments punctuated by
rhythmically dynamic passages still full of riotous harmonies and motifs with
even the hint of Stravinsky’s Petrushka before tumbling to the coda.
The trumpet opens Aria
Della Pace with a series of repeated short notes out of which develops a
theme to which the ensemble gently join with a dissonant chordal theme surely
with baroque undertones. The soloist and ensemble brass create some very fine
harmonies together over a muted background before leading gently to the coda.
This is a remarkably fine movement, really quite lovely.
Ensemble Musikfabrik leap in at the opening of Aria Dell Piacere with the trumpet of Marco
Blaauw appearing over the ensemble as they weave a terrific theme with an
underlying forward rhythmic momentum. There is some more fine virtuosic trumpet
playing here before running forward, only to slow for a virtuosic trumpet solo
to end.
This is a hugely attractive work, brilliantly played by Marco
Blaauw and Ensemble Musikfabrik directed by Christian Eggen https://nbl.snl.no/Christian_Eggen
.
Sun Ra (born Herman
Poole Blount) (1914-1993) www.sunraarkestra.com
was born in Birmingham, Alabama, USA and was a jazz composer, bandleader, piano
and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher. Sun Ra was a complex person who used ‘cosmic’ philosophies
and lyrical poetry preaching awareness and peace.
There are two pieces on this new disc by Sun Ra both
arranged by Sun Ra’s long-time associate, Marshall Allen.
For Outer Nothingness
für Saxofon und Ensemble, Ensemble Musikfabrik are joined by saxophonist
Frank Gratkowski http://gratkowski.com . The
work opens with timpani sounding out in an extended passage before braying,
wild brass join, full of wild energy. The music settles a little as the
saxophone enters playing a theme over the rather more wild accompaniment. There
are jazz elements as the saxophone and other ensemble brass players weave the
theme around. Eventually the music falls to the solo saxophone, which creates a
myriad of unusual and wild sounds from the instrument before being accompanied
by other strange, wild brass sounds. Soon a drum solo arrives that leads to slow
sporadic drum beats with interventions from the ensemble. The brass produces
some strange sounds as the music speeds and moves forward to a great, furious
brass outburst. Pizzicato basses enter as the saxophone appears with a slow
punctuated motif against little cries from the ensemble to gently end.
Pleiades für
Saxofon und Ensemble opens with the spoken words of Sun Ra ‘I am Sun Ra,
ambassador from the intergalactic regions of the council of outer space’ and
with gentle drum beats When the ensemble joins the voice stops, as we are left
with a gentle motif for two flutes with sounds of the saxophone, almost as
though bringing the sounds of nature. The music settles slowly to a gentle
beat, a kind of sophisticated jazz rhythm with flutes over pizzicato basses.
All the while, the saxophone creates its spectacularly unusual sounds that
slowly increase in dynamics and tempo as more brass enter in a cacophony of
overlaid jazz style motifs. The music eventually reduces to a quiet held
harmony for ensemble, punctuated by sudden interventions from the saxophone and
members of the ensemble. There are more
strange noises from the saxophone and ensemble, before strings lead ahead in a
sombre theme with strange sounds still being heard. A gentle melody, subtly
pointed up by jazz inflections, leads forward before just ending.
These are strange, wild pieces that receive terrific
performances from Frank Gratkowski and Ensemble Musikfabrik.
The recordings are excellent and there are informative notes
in the large fold out CD insert. Indeed, the packaging is very nicely done with
a transparent outer sleeve.
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