Topic: Avant Garde Music for Solo Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass.

[Mandryka]

Johannes Schöllhorn caught my attention when I learned he was a pupil of Klaus Huber. This piece for solo cello, Grisaille, bears some resemblance to Huber and late Nono in that there’s clearly an interest in using pauses and quietness and dynamic contrasts for dramatic effect. But it has its own voice I think, it’s not a pastiche, and I think it’s rather good. Quite why it’s not commercially released is a mystery - just speaking personally, I find it rather more interesting music than the other singles which Dirk Weigheger released in lockdown, though I couldn’t say why exactly. Anyway Schöllhorn is a composer I shall have to explore.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca8qX-p8aYw

[Mandryka]

There are some nice things on this cello Cd by Ulrich Heinen, but what’s caught my imagination most are six pieces (figures) by Howard Skempton. Simple music poetically played, and for me rather refreshing in the context of all that baroquery from Bach, and complexity from the other composers -  like a glass of pure spring water.