The Squid's Ear
Writing about improvised, contemporary, experimental and unusual music,
following the activities of Squidco...
  •  •  •     Join Our Mailing List!



The Squid's Ear




Heard In

Reviews of artist releases:
cd's, books, magazines, &c.


  Christoph Schiller 
  24 Stucke Fur Ein Tasteninstrument
  (Edition Wandelweiser) 


  
   review by John Eyles
  2022-09-19
Christoph Schiller: 24 Stucke Fur Ein Tasteninstrument (Edition Wandelweiser)

Born in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1963, Christopher Schiller studied fine art there and in Hamburg before studying piano and music theory in Basel. From 1987 onwards he played concerts of improvised music on piano, later preferring spinet. As early as 1993, Schiller recorded his first album, Mundraub (Hybrid Music Productions, 1994), a piano and voice duet with future Wandelweiser member Marianne Schuppe. By 1998 he had written "seestück" for choir, his first composition for Wandelweiser of which he too became a member. While he has an impressive array of album releases covering such prestigious labels as Another Timbre, Creative Sources, INSUB and Matchless, his only previous Edition Wandelweiser release was his 2016 solo spinet album Spinet.

The current album (its title translates as 24 pieces for a keyboard instrument) features all twenty-four pieces — ranging in duration from just under two minutes to just over three — which comprised Schiller's orgelbuch (organ book) portfolio; despite that name, they are all performed here by Ed Williams, on the very different sounding clavichord. The pieces are all similarly titled from the opening "Fuge in C" to the closing "Fuge in h" (remember that in Germany the key of B is called H while B flat is called B...)

Leaving such niceties aside, from the start it is clear that the decision to record the pieces on clavichord was an inspired one; the uncluttered, ringing sound of the instrument perfectly suits the compositions, allowing every note to be heard clearly from being struck to its disappearance as it fades away. Although the compositions are Schiller's alone, Williams merits equal billing for his exquisite renditions of them. The pieces make frequent use of pregnant pauses, allowing listeners to savour what has just passed while also generating a sense of expectation of what is to follow. Their relative brevity ensures that the pieces do not outstay their welcome but sound fresh throughout, revealing more with each repeat play. This is music which seems sure to stand the test of time.







Comments and Feedback:



More Recent Reviews, Articles, and Interviews @ The Squid's Ear...


The Squid's Ear presents
reviews about releases
sold at Squidco.com
written by
independent writers.

Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Eliane Radigue:
Asymptote Versatile (
1963-64)
(Amgen Records)



Ivo Perelman/
Nate Wooley:
Polarity 4
(Burning Ambulance Music)



Joe McPhee:
Defiant Jazz:
a Joe McPhee Taster
[VINYL]
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)



Armaroli/
Piccolo/
Sharp:
Imaginary Songbook
[2 CDs]
(Dodicilune)



Eva Novoa Trio (
w/ Daniel Carter/
Francisco Mela):
The Freedom Suite,
Vol. 2
(577 Records)



Eva Novoa Trio (
w/ Carter/
Mela):
The Freedom Suite,
Vol. 2
[VINYL]
(577 Records)



Fieldwork (
Iyer/
Lehman/
Sorey):
Thereupon
(Pi Recordings)



Fieldwork (
Iyer/
Lehman/
Sorey):
Thereupon
[VINYL]
(Pi Recordings)



Dan Weiss (
w/ Evans/
Okazaki/
Brennan):
Unclassified Affections
(Pi Recordings)



Dan Weiss (
w/ Evans/
Okazaki/
Brennan):
Unclassified Affections
[VINYL 2 LPs]
(Pi Recordings)



Fujii/
Tamura/
Yoshida/
Takeharu:
Burning Wick
(Libra)



Ken Vandermark:
October Flowers for Joe McPhee
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)



Pat Thomas:
Hikmah
(Tao Forms)



Pat Thomas:
Hikmah
[VINYL w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Tao Forms)



Russ Lossing:
Proximity Alert
(Blaser Music)



Natural Information Society (
Abrams/
Alvarado/
Avery/
Stein):
Perseverance Flow
(AGUIRRE RECORDS)



Ohad Talmor w/Chris Tordini/
Eric Mcpherson + Guests:
Back To The Land
[2 CDs]
(Intakt)



Nathan Clevenger Group:
Astrolabe
(Queen Bee Records)



Donny McCaslin:
Lullaby For
The Lost
[VINYL]
(Editions)



Don Cherry/
Krzysztof Penderecki:
Actions
[VINYL 180g]
(Intuition)







Squidco
Click here to
advertise with
The Squid's Ear






The Squid's Ear pays its writers.
Interested in becoming a reviewer?




The Squid's Ear is the companion magazine to the online music shop Squidco !


  Copyright © Squidco. All rights reserved. Trademarks. (14984)