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.


  Magnus Granberg 
  Evening Star, Vesper Bell
  (Another Timbre) 


  
   review by John Eyles
  2023-09-11
Magnus Granberg: Evening Star, Vesper Bell (Another Timbre)

When Swedish composer and musician Magnus Granberg's first release on Another Timbre (AT), Ist Gefallen in den Schnee, was released in 2012, it was not immediately obvious that Granberg would become the composer who appeared most often on the label. Yet, with the release of his tenth AT album, Evening Star, Vesper Bell, that is exactly what has happened. The writing was on the wall when that first Granberg release and Despairs Had Governed Me Too Long (AT, 2014) both sold out, prompting the label to the unprecedented step of re-releasing them together on a double CD, in 2017. Those two albums each featured Granberg's ensemble Skogen, in which he played piano and/or clarinet, although on later albums he has used other groupings. Evening Star, Vesper Bell is the first album on which he has used Apartment House which has practically become the AT house band, here comprising violin, viola, cello, clarinet, vibraphone and percussion alongside Granberg himself on prepared piano.

As with several of his past compositions — for which Granberg used ideas from classical works, religious music, show tunes, etc, without copying note for note — for the piece "Evening Star, Vesper Bell" some musical materials were derived from the very different "Abendbilder" by Franz Schubert and "So in Love" by Cole Porter. Granberg originally formed Skogen to try and develop a way to combine the openness and flexibility of improv with the structure and control of composition. To that end, instead of giving musicians a fixed score of a piece, Granberg gives them various musical materials which they are free to play at a time of their choosing, depending on the ensemble sound at the time. This methodology has proved successful with past Granberg compositions, performed by different ensembles, giving the music a mood and atmosphere which is easily recognisable as Granberg.

The fifty-four-minute piece was recorded by Simon Reynell, at Goldsmith's Music Studio, in November 2022.The music created by Apartment House and Granberg is a testament to the experience they all have of improvising. The soundscape is never overcrowded or cluttered as all concerned display respect for their fellow musicians and for the composition itself. Throughout, every instrument can be heard clearly and every musician is a paradigm of good taste and judgement. The success of this performance is due to all concerned. Granberg afficionados can be assured that this album maintains his winning streak. For the uninitiated, this album is an excellent place to begin appreciating Granberg's beautiful music.







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:


Derek Bailey/
John Stevens:
The Duke of
Wellington
(Confront)



Paul Dunmall:
Away With
Troubles And Anxieties!
(Discus)



Shifa (
Musson/
Thomas/
Sanders):
Ecliptic
(Discus)



Natsuki Tamura/
Satoko Fujii:
Ki
(Libra)



Borah Bergman/
Anthony Braxton/
Peter Brotzmann:
Eight By Three
(Mixtery)



Hedvig Mollestad Trio:
Bees In
The Bonnet
(Rune Grammofon)



Acid Mothers Temple &
The Melting Paraiso
UFO:
Black Mountain
ide
(Rolling Heads)



Evan Parker/
Bill Nace:
Branches (
Live at Cafe OTO)[VINYL]
(Open Mouth)



Alexander Hawkins/
Taylor Ho Bynum:
A Near Permanent State
Of Wonder
(RogueArt)



Joseph Holbrooke (
w/ Derek Bailey/
Gavin Bryars/
Tony Oxley):
Last Live 2001 -
In Memoriam
Derek Bailey
And
Tony Oxley
[2 CDs]
(Tzadik)



Zeena Parkins:
Modesty Of
The Magic Thing
(Tzadik)



Dave Douglas (
Douglas/
Ridout/
Adewumi/
Brennan/
Pass/
Royston):
Alloy
(Greenleaf Music)



Ivo Pereleman/
Nate Wooley/
Matt Moran/
Mark Helias/
Tom Rainey:
A Modicum
Of the Blues
(Fundacja Sluchaj!)



Angles 11:
Tell Them
It's The Sound Of Freedom
(Fundacja Sluchaj!)



Sifter (
w/ Lisa Mezzacappa):
Flake/
Fracture
(Queen Bee Records)



Jean-Marc Foussat:
Abbatage
(Fou Records)



Chester Hawkins:
Apsis
(Intangible Arts)



Karl Evangelista's Apura +
Andrew Cyrille:
Bukas
(577 Records)



Frode Gjerstad/
Alexander von Schlippenbach/
Dag Magnus Narvesen:
Seven Tracks
(Relative Pitch)



Kaze (
Fujii/
Tamura/
Orins/
Pruvost) with/ Koichi Makigami:
Shishiodoshi
(Circum-Libra)







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. (1322)