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

Started by Mandryka, June 09, 2020, 09:20:52 PM

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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
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

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.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka



Really hard not to think of the Diabelli Variations when listening to Rochberg's Capprice Variations, with all its allusions to familiar existing musics, and it's hair pin changes of mood - from sweet and lyrical to spiky. It sounds to me as though there's nothing in the first 17 variations which could not have been written by a inspired and able composer in 1870. I note in passing that it was written in 1970 - I'm not sure how much that matters. And then BANG! You're in some completely alien and dissonant sound world.  The polystylism is really disconcerting, but then Beethoven quotes Mozart from 50 years before and his variations take music into an alien sound world too.


There's just been another recording of the complete set by Leo Marrillier, released last year, with an interesting looking booklet

https://www.chandos.net/chanimages/Booklets/TR1883.pdf

And Skævred has a web page about the music

https://www.peter-sheppard-skaerved.com/2020/06/george-rochbergs-caprice-variations-a-resource-page-for-the-exhale/
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka



Very much enjoying Dillon's Parjanya - Vata on this - streaming on Spotify.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen