The Numbers Are Dancing
Dennis KUHN (b. 1957)
Leon’s House (Epitaph for a friend) (2020) [13:08]
Nik BÄRTSCH (b. 1971)
Seven Eleven (2020) [10:21]
Stephan THELEN (b. 1959)
Russian Dolls (2019) [8:48]
Parallel Motion (2019) [12:18]
Markus REUTER (b. 1972)
Sexgott (2020) [14:35]
Mannheimer Schlagwerk (mallet quartet)
rec. 26-29 July 2021, Epiphaniaskirche, Mannheim.
SOLAIRE RECORDS SOL1012 [59:35]
Steve Reich’s Mallet Quartet is the starting point for the general sonic profile of this superb recording of new music played by ensemble Mannheimer Schlagwerk. The mellow sonorities, depth of timbre and rhythmic impetus of marimbas and the instantly recognisable chime of vibraphones form the backbone of the recording, and with plenty of harmonic interest to go along with these qualities, this is very much a percussion album for those who aren’t that keen on percussion albums.
Dennis Kuhn’s Leon’s House (Epitaph for a friend) has a comparable fast/slow/fast format to Reich’s quartet, and each section or movement is connected and played without a break. You will notice glissando bowed notes on vibraphone in the opening that introduce a surreal quality that is developed in the slow movement. The ostinato material in the outer movements is different to Reich’s: “Whereas Reich uses canon patterns a lot, Dennis is working with complimentary figures, so each instrumental line is essentially a solo voice.” Based on a few quite simple but highly effective ideas and organised with a naturally organic sense of proportion, this music was made very much in collaboration with the musicians in this recording and the whole thing fits like a familiar soft leather glove - lovely stuff.
Nick Bärtsch’s Seven Eleven sails closer to Reich in its more minimalist character, but with an almost entirely distinctive palette of rhythmic and harmonic techniques. “The basic pattern of the piece is based on a movement in 11/4, which unfolds calmly over a cycle of symmetrically placed harmonies. The elements of this cycle flow, then interlock, branch out and eventually split into a 7/4 rhythm.” Japanese culture and perspective plays a role in Bärtsch’s approach to music making, with any tensions between influences gathered from international touring apparently negated by the neutral nature of his Swiss citizenship. Whatever the marginalia or origin story, Seven Eleven is a fine work that delivers an expanded soundworld for fans of Reich, while at the same time maintaining its own attractive and stimulating identity.
Stephan Thelen is not only a musician, but is also a mathematics professor in Zurich. Russian Dolls was originally to have been called ‘Recursive Patterns’, “because I wrote it using self-similar patterns and recursive principles known from fractal Geometry.” This and the following piece are the closest we come to ‘old-fashioned minimalism’ in this programme, here with an electric organ in the mix, and a demanding clarinet part, all revolving around a single tonal centre, but with lyrical elements that create their own sense of expectation. Parallel Motion has an important part for drums that reminds us of the composer’s early passion for rock music and perhaps also Reich’s Drumming. The interlocked but also independent nature of this part alongside the rhythms of the marimba is accounted for, aside from their contrasts of sound, in Thelen’s technique of patterns played at different speeds. Shifting relationships and the organic development of simple ideas are all used in the service of musical communication: “What counts is expression… I love it when you keep hearing the same thing but performed with different timbres, in different octaves and in different tempos. It just makes you realise how everything is organically connected and not just a random sequence of ideas.”
Connoisseurs of good recordings might have heard Markus Reuter’s String Quartet No. 1 on Solaire Records (review), and if you enjoyed the exploratory refinement there then you will want to hear Sexgott. Generally seen as the ‘odd one out’ in this programme, this is a work that eschews rhythmic propulsion as a main driver. Reuter’s minimalism is pointillist, it “percolates and patters like rain drops, evenly and gently, yet ultimately unpredictably.” Sexgott is divided into three movements: Mars, Venus and Eros. The first two are slow-ish, the first being a translucent gossamer of notes that play amidst still air, but with a delicate rhythmic impulse that is stretched into stasis in the central movement. The final movement has the most energy, with the common atmospheric texture of the whole becoming the fronds of plant life moving in a more headlong but still crystal-clear and restrained freshwater stream. “These pieces seem to define their own world. They don’t follow rules, but create them.”
As ever from this label, recording production and presentation is impeccable for this release, with a 63 page booklet that has masses of text about the works recorded, as well as photos from the recording sessions. If you are keen on new music and enjoy the sound of superbly played marimbas, vibraphones and suitably integrated other instruments, then this has to be a go-to recording.
Dominy Clements
