The Squid's Ear Magazine


Mitzlaff / Mira: cellos (Creative Sources)

The unusual cello duo format is explored by Mitzlaff and Mira in these experimental contemporary improvisations using acoustics and techniques mimicking live electronics to create a uniquely informed music.
 

Price: $16.95



Quantity:

In Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 4.00 units


EU & UK Customers:
Discogs.com can handle your VAT payments
So please order through Discogs

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Ulrich Mitzlaff-cello

Miguel Mira-cello


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




Label: Creative Sources
Catalog ID: cs174
Squidco Product Code: 12907

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2010
Country: Portugal
Packaging: Jewel Tray
Recorded by Miguel Mira in June 2009 at Casal da Granja-Varzea de Sintra, Portugal. Mixed and Mastered by Emidio Buchinho in July 2009.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.
structure similar to the Offenbach's options for those scores. This is how experimental contemporary music pays tribute to past achievements. Sure you'll still find here the "classical" factor, but "Cellos" is an entirely improvised, post avant-garde and exploratory set of cello duos, incorporating elements that go from jazz (Mira tunes his instrument in fourths, like if it was a double bass, following the proceedings of the jazz cellist Oscar Pettiford) to "live" electronics, sometimes mimetizing acoustically the sound world of synthesists and laptop experimentalists.

But there's much more to say about this surprising and extraordinary record assembling a German musician living in Portugal for 12 years now and a Portuguese-born Renaissance man dividing his time between music, architecture and painting. Beginning with the fact that each improvisation has a particular concept behind it, presented by the title; and the titles aware us of a transposition to music of formulae coming from the visual arts. "Visual music" is the name used to refer the influence of music in painting, sculpture, cinema, video and computer art since Kandinsky and Norman McLaren, but even if what we have here is the reversed situation, the designation is fully applyable. And that because it corresponds to the same equation: the search for synesthesia, began by Scriabin with his "tastiera per luce". If the plastic artists of the last century were trying to inscribe the notion of time in their works, present musicians like Mitzlaff and Mira deal with space. We can even say that the Einstein's Relativity Theory is being fulfilled in the domains of art, the "space-time continuum" getting finally global covering. In his book "Digital Harmony" (1980), John Whitney writes about a "new kind of composer: one with the ability to conceive ideas both musically and visually". In this case, the particularity is that we have two instant-composers, musicians composing in the exact moment of the performance, committed to the "here and now" of the creative act.

Some of the situations approached are ambiguous, in the sense that they have several, but complementary in some way, interpretations depending on the perspective. "Shape", the first track of the album, alludes directly to architectural and sculptural considerations, but in Portuguese the word "figura" (which we can literally, but not very correctly, translate to English as "figure") has other meanings. We might think they're referring to the "musical figure", a short succession of notes and their possible variations, but if there's indeed a simple and basic motif, what is really in question is the unity of the form. And this takes us to the definition of figurativism, since the focus is on an object. The implications are of great interest, considering that music is not a representational art. "Inversion" suggests a visual movement and more than adopting music processes through inverted intervals and consonant or dissonant weird counterpoints, it warns us for the rhetorical dimension of the interactive discourse developed by the two players, presenting it as a parallel to human verbal language. "Tripartition" mentions the thesis in music semiology by Jean Molino and Jean-Jacques Nattiez, which divides the musical phenomenon in three vectors: the music "producer", the "text" (the music itself), and the "receiver" (the listener). Simultaneously, it's the equivalent of the tryptic opuses in history, from Hieronimus Bosch to Francis Bacon.

"Discontinuity" sums up the performing philosophy adopted by Ulrich Mitzlaff and Miguel Mira. The non-linear structure cuts with the cause and effect relationships specific to time, enabling to play with spatial categories. In this improvisation we find the second great musical reference of "Cellos", Morton Feldman (from Mitzlaff's input), but also another extra-musical source of inspiration: the "jump drive" principle (warp flights, teleportation) in science fiction (coming from Mira, a comics fan and collector). In one way or another, the intention is to break with the understanding of music as a narrative (like the conventional literary and cinematic ones), with its rigidly implied "time-scheme". One of Feldman's main characteristics is the non-chronological organization of sounds and the refusal to restrict it in a closed syntax and in a phrasing construction, distancing him from the type of uses common, for instance, in jazz and improvised music. The recorded piece is fragmentary and unstable, dismantling any perceptions of past, present and future. "Asymmetry" is the logic next step, and again we are in plastic arts territory. And in architecture: through the 20th century, and until now, it's believed that "only a bad architect relies on symmetry". Science is the basis: in biology, chemistry, physics, thermodynamics, astronomy, and so on, there's innumerable examples of non-symmetric systems.

Then we hear "Abstract", the closing track. Being music abstract by definition, that factor gained more evidence under the guiding of the visual avant-garde tendencies from Dada to Fluxus. Curiously enough, abstractionism always had a strong empathy with geometry, the mathematics of objects, and in music truth is abstraction tends also to be geometric. Mitzlaff and Mira close the circle, arriving at the start, putting side by side the metaphor of a real, natural, object ("Shape") and the metaphor of an "inner", imagined, object ("Abstract"). In the art of sounds there's no substantial differences between the two exercises - it's simply two aspects of the same reasoning. In doing so, they design for this album an "open-ended" symmetry by asymmetric means, and that is brilliant. Few times improvisation had such a conceptual relevance. Offenbach would be puzzled with "Cellos", as I did and certainly will you."-Rui Eduardo Paes



This album has been reviewed on our magazine:

The Squid
The Squid's Ear!

Artist Biographies

"Ulrich Mitzlaff completed his cello studies in the seventies at Tübingen (Germany) with Professor Stefan Zarnescú. Since 1996 he lives at Lisbon, Portugal, where he works as cellist and composer of contemporary and experimental music, improvisation, free-jazz, conceptual composition and sound-art. He collaborates with various artists in multidisciplinary and electro-acoustic projects and he is member of the art-association "granular".

At the moment, he participates in music-projects like: the Duo Ulrich Mitzlaff / Miguel Mira, with a new and very surprising CD "Cellos" that was presented early springtime this year; Separados Frutos, an experimental music and spoken word formation with Nuno Rebelo, Vera Mantero and Manuel Guimarães; the Open Speech TRIO with Carlos Bechegas and Miguel Feraso Cabral; the Duo Carlos "Zingaro" / Ulrich Mitzlaff and the Fruit Music Quartet with Franziska Schroeder, Pedro Carneiro and Pedro Rebelo.

With Carlos "Zingaro" he was performing in many different constellations and formations that had a significant impact on his playing. The same is to say about his collaborations with Nuno Rebelo, Carlos Bechegas, Miguel Mira and Carlos Santos.

He was interpreting the original music composed by Nuno Rebelo in 2001 for "como rebolar alegremente sobre um vazio interior", choreography by Vera Mantero for the Ballet Gulbenkian, and in 2003 for "Silicone Não", choreography by Paulo Ribeiro for the Companhia Paulo Ribeiro. He was collaborating in 2000 and 2001 with Américo Rodrigues in his multi-dimensional piece "...como um relâmpago...".

He composed and presented live in 2008 the music for the choreography created by Romulus Neagu "The Invisibility of the Small Perceptions". With Romulus Neagu he works also in the duo "ImproFormance", an instant dance-performance.

In 2008 he created and interpreted the music for the documentary film by Miguel Clara Vasconcelos over the choreographic project of Romulus Neagu "The Invisibility of the Small Perceptions", and in 2009 he composed and interpreted the music for the dramatic short film by Miguel Clara Vasconcelos "Pedrinez". He interpreted the original music written by Paulo Curado for the animation film "Cândido" by "Zepe" - José Pedro Cavalheiro in 2007.

He participated in many international festivals like "Festival LEM Primavera" (Barcelona 2009), "Festival Portugal and the World" (Brussels 2007), "Metasonic LX" (Lisbon 2006), "Metasonic III" (Lisbon 2010), "Festival Músicas do Mundo" (Sines 2006), "Festival Alkantara" (Lisbon 2006), "Sonorities" festival of contemporary music (Belfast, Northern Ireland 2005), "CAMP 03 - international festival for electronic music, sound art and visual arts" (Tübingen, Germany 2003) and "CAMP 05" (Montemor-o-Novo 2005), "Encontros de Música Experimental- EME" (Setúbal 2000 and 2001), "Ó da Guarda" (Guarda 1999, 2005 and 2008) among many others.

He was playing in various concerts with Fried Dähn, Rodrigo Amado, Emídio Buchinho, Reinhold Friedl, Vitor Joaquim, Thomas Maos, Stefano de Bonis, Josep-Maria Balanyà, Bart Maris, Miguel Cardoso, Pedro Lopes, Hernâni Faustino, Stefano Zorzanello, Gregg Moore, Liba Villavecchia, Paulo Curado, Bertrand Gauguet, Miguel Leiria Pereira, Ernesto Rodrigues, Mark Whitecage, Phill Niblock and many others. He worked in the duo I/O with Carlos Santos (MAX/MSP) in the field of electro-acoustic improvisation and he was collaborating with the Lisbon Improvisation Players of Rodrigo Amado."

-Creative Sources (http://creativesourcesrec.com/artists/u_mitzlaff.html)
11/5/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Born in 1958, studying guitar at the Academy of Music Amateurs, in the 70s, with Prof. Nagy. In the late 70 studying bass at the Hot Club, in the early '80s, with Prof. Zé Eduardo.

"Intrigue and permanent and persistent unease with stringed instruments, jazz and improvisation itself. During the last forty years, in concert, in private or in the studio, I had the honor of having played and learned (chronologically) Nuno Grande, Armindo Neves, Emilio Robalo, Celso Carvalho, António Ferro, Arthur Costa, Ze Bitch John Vinegar, John Lucas, Francisco Medina, Abdul moimeme, Rashiim Ausar Sahu, Patrick Brennan, Rodrigo Amado, Scott Fields, Francisco Trindade, Ernesto Rodrigues, Harvey Sorgen and Joe Giardullo.

Today, honor me play (and perpetuate my restlessness) with Rodrigo Amado, Abdul moimeme, John Lucas, Joseph Bruno Parrinha, John Parrinha, João Pedro Viegas, Alipio Carvalho Neto, Gabriel Ferrandini, Ernesto Rodrigues, Armando Gonçalves Pereira, Hernani Faustino, Rodrigo Pinheiro, Zé Lencastre, Louis Desirat, Peter Castello Lopes, Luís Lopes, Luís Vicente, Philip Sousa, Pedro Roxo, Johannes Krieger, George Lamprey, Marcello Maggi, Paulo Curado, Diogo Leal, D' Incise, Virginia and Eduardo Chagas. With some of my friends. I share my musical day in broader bands or ensembles, with other I highlight specific musical encounters and they are my entire curriculum." "

-JACC Records (http://www.jacc-records.com/en/musicians/miguel-mira)
11/5/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. shape 1:21

2. Inversion 8:32

3. tripartition 1st part 5:58

4. tripartition 2nd part 8:54

5. tripartition 3rd part 3:22

6. discontinuity 4:22

7. asymmetry 9:21

8. abstract 8:24

Related Categories of Interest:

Creative Sources

Improvised Music
European Improv, Free Jazz & Related
Stringed Instruments
Free Improvisation
Duo Recordings
Instant Rewards

Search for other titles on the label:
Creative Sources.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Rodrigues, Ernesto / Luisa Goncalves / Flak / Bruno Parrinha / Miguel Mira
Nocturne
(Creative Sources)
The title an apt description of this dreamlike improvisation guided by the piano of Luisa Gonçalves, in a quintet with Flak on acoustic guitar & ebow, Bruno Parrinha on bass clarinet, Miguel Mira on cello and Ernesto Rodrigues on viola & crackle box, the latter adding crepuscular bird calls and whispers to this nuanced nocturnal meditation of dark ambiance and furtive encounters.
Lisbon String Trio & Carlos Santos
Cobra
(Creative Sources)
The Lisbon String Trio — Ernesto Rodrigues (viola), Miguel Mira (cello) and Alvaro Rosso(double bass) — collaborates with Carlos Santos (electronics, modular synth) to create a sophisticated, assertive set that enriches the trio's soundscape with nuanced electronic textures, building on the trio's nearly telepathic coordination and harmonic depth, blending physicality and subtle electronics to evoke mysterious, wave-like motifs and dynamic subtlety.
Variable Geometry Orchestra
L'Heure Derniere du Silence
(Creative Sources)
Rodrigues, Ernesto / Luisa Goncalves / Flak / Bruno Parrinha / Miguel Mira
Nocturne
(Creative Sources)
The title an apt description of this dreamlike improvisation guided by the piano of Luisa Gonçalves, in a quintet with Flak on acoustic guitar & ebow, Bruno Parrinha on bass clarinet, Miguel Mira on cello and Ernesto Rodrigues on viola & crackle box, the latter adding crepuscular bird calls and whispers to this nuanced nocturnal meditation of dark ambiance and furtive encounters.
Suspensao
Serendipity
(Creative Sources)
A fortuitous 2015 concert from the lowercase chamber/ea-improv octet Suspensão, captured live at Ler Devagar Bookstore in Lisbon from Ernesto Rodrigues (viola & harp), Guilherme Rodrigues (cello), Nuno Torres (alto sax), Eduardo Chagas (trombone), Antonio Chaparreiro (guitar), Rodrigo Pinheiro (piano & melodica), Miguel Mira (bass), Carlos Santos (electronics) and Jose Oliveira (percussion).
Variable Geometry Orchestra
There's Always Someone Who Says No
(Creative Sources)
One of the largest ensembles associated with Creative Sources, merging acoustic and electronic improvisers, this conduction by violist Ernesto Rodrigues at Torre Do Tombo in Lisbon in 2023 was the opening for an exhibition about the struggle of college students against the Portuguese dictatorship during the years 1970-74, leading to the Carnation Revolution.
Variable Geometry Orchestra
There's Always Someone Who Says No
(Creative Sources)
One of the largest ensembles associated with Creative Sources, merging acoustic and electronic improvisers, this conduction by violist Ernesto Rodrigues at Torre Do Tombo in Lisbon in 2023 was the opening for an exhibition about the struggle of college students against the Portuguese dictatorship during the years 1970-74, leading to the Carnation Revolution.
DUOT & ZARM Ensemble (Cirera / Prats / Zingaro / Alves / Mitzlaff / Rosso)
DUOT with Strings
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
The DUOT pairing of Argentinian, Barcelona-based sax player Albert Cirera and Spanish drummer Ramón Prats is joined on their 6th album by the Portuguese string quartet ZARM Ensemble of Carlos Zingaro on violin, David Alves on violin, Ulrich Mitzlaf on cello and Alvaro Rosso on double bass for a dynamic concert at Igreja do Espírito Santo in Caldas Da Rainha, Portugal.
Suspensao
Serendipity
(Creative Sources)
A fortuitous 2015 concert from the lowercase chamber/ea-improv octet Suspensão, captured live at Ler Devagar Bookstore in Lisbon from Ernesto Rodrigues (viola & harp), Guilherme Rodrigues (cello), Nuno Torres (alto sax), Eduardo Chagas (trombone), Antonio Chaparreiro (guitar), Rodrigo Pinheiro (piano & melodica), Miguel Mira (bass), Carlos Santos (electronics) and Jose Oliveira (percussion).
Rodrigues / Mira / Almeida / Silva / Parrinha / Lencastre / Goncalves / Oliveira
Spiegel III
(Creative Sources)
The third Spiegel, or mirror, takes the Portuguese acoustic octet led by violist Ernesto Rodrigue through an extended improvisation and its reflection, captured live at the 2021 CSFest XV, at O'Culto da Ajuda, by performing and recording their performance in a first pass, and then playing over the first improvisation, layering and extending their work.
Isotope Ensemble
Uranium
(Creative Sources)
Continuing their exploration of isotopes, here focusing on the unstable element Uranium, the Portuguese Isotope Ensemble led by violist Ernesto Rodrigues presents two stunningly detailed concert performances from the 2021 CSFest XV at O'Culto da Ajuda in Lisbon, with some of Europe's leading improvisers taking on U92 in both "Electroacoustic" and "Acoustic" properties.
String Theory
Musica Povera
(Creative Sources)
The 8-piece String Theory ensemble directed by violist Ernesto Rodrigues in a live performance at O'Culto da Ajuda in Lisbon of a beautiful and subtle work inspired by a poem written by Rodrigues, ".. dans cette immensite ", realized through viola, violin, cellos, viola de gamba, double bass, piano, zither and objects, a deceptively tranquil work of detail and dexterous execution.
Rodrigues, Ernesto / Jose Lencastre / Miguel Mira / Hernani Faustino / Joao Lencastre
Affinity Suite
(Creative Sources)
A chamber jazz quintet orchestrated for three strings, saxophone and percussion from Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, Jose Lencastre on alto saxophone, Miguel Mira on cello, Hernani Faustino on double bass and Joao Lencastre on drums, technically advanced collective playing that simmers with an underlying jazz fire unique to many of Rodrigues' groupings.
MMM Trio (Mascolo / Mira / Maglioccho)
Bridge In The Dark
(FMR)
The MMM Trio of Carlo Mascolo on prepared trombone, Miguel Mira on cello and Marcello Magliocchi on drums & percussion recorded this album during a concert series in Puglia, Italy, placing each musician in a separate room with headphones, promoting the close listening and concentrated interaction each brings to their unusual approach to free improvisation.
Lisbon String Trio & Bruno Parrinha
Dada
(Creative Sources)
Lisbon String Trio of Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, Miguel Mira on cello and Alvaro Rosso on double bass continue their series adding a fourth player to their unique form of string improvisation, here with reeidst Bruno Parrinha on alto clarinetist for an extended expedition into highly articulate playing as they explore the dada rejection of logic, reason, and aestheticism.
IKB
Titanus Giganteus
(Creative Sources)
Post-pandemic, the electroacoustic IKB ensemble returned to the stage in 2021 at O'Culto da Ajuda in Lisbon with some of Portugal's finest improvisers performing under the direction of violist Ernetso Rodrigues, to express in sound the large rainforest beetle Titanus Giganteus, represented in an extended collective improvisation of restraint fueled by masterful and creative skill.
Amado, Rodrigo Motion Trio / Alexander von Schlippenbach
The Field
(NoBusiness)
Portuguese tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado's Motion Trio with cellist Miguel Mira and drummer Gabriel Ferrandini in his bands 7th full album, recorded live at the 2019 Vilnius Jazz Festival in Lithuania performing with special guest, pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach, for an extended improvisation of masterfully evolving changes and dynamics.
Mitzlaff, Ulrich
Transparent - fluorescent sound fibres
(Creative Sources)
German cellist and pianist living in Lisbon, Ulrich Mitzlaff recorded these two solo works titled "transparent — fluorescent sound fibers" #1 & #2 in 2015 and 2020, each voiced for extended and unusual instrumental technique in an interaction with percussive objects, the first from 2015 performing on cello, the second from 2020 performed on piano.
I/O: Carlos Santos / Ilrich Mitzlaff
Studies on Colour Fields Modulation
(Creative Sources)
Electronic improviser Carlos Santos, whose sound work started with VITRIOL in 1989, a laboratory for experimental sound actions, also studied painting and works as a graphic designer; here he joins with cellist and sound artist Ulrich Mitzlaff for two extended works taking their cue from the visual arts as they study and sonically reflect subtle modulations in color fields.
IKB
Limosa Limosa
(Creative Sources)
IKB, a ten-piece reductionist electroacoustic ensemble of strings, reeds, guitar, computer, percussion, piano, drums & objects, continues their exploration of exotic animal species with this 2020 live performance at O'Culto da Ajuda in Lisbon, Portugal, detailing the long-billed shore bird Limosa through intricate, restrained and remarkable expression.
Isotope Ensemble
Helium
(Creative Sources)
With an ensemble of adept improvisers including Luis Vicente on trumpet, Nuno Torres, Jose Lencastre and Bruno Parrinha on reeds, Luis Lopes on guitar, &c, Creative Sources leader and violist Ernesto Rodrigues' Isotope Ensemble examines the element "Helium" in a monumental 44-minute electroacoustic improvisation recorded live at O'Culto da Ajuda, in Lisbon.
String Theory
Musique Placide
(Creative Sources)
The 8-piece String Theory ensemble directed by violist Ernesto Rodrigues performs a beautiful and subtle work inspired by a poem written by Rodrigues, "Une Ombre Du Bonheur", realized through viola, violin, cellos, viola de gamba, double bass, piano, zither and objects, a stunningly beautiful and deceptively tranquil work of exceptional detail and dexterous execution.
Mitzlaff, Ulrich
Transparent - fluorescent sound fibres
(Creative Sources)
German cellist and pianist living in Lisbon, Ulrich Mitzlaff recorded these two solo works titled "transparent — fluorescent sound fibers" #1 & #2 in 2015 and 2020, each voiced for extended and unusual instrumental technique in an interaction with percussive objects, the first from 2015 performing on cello, the second from 2020 performed on piano.
RED trio and Celebration Band
Suite 10 Years Anniversary [2 CDs]
(NoBusiness)
The Red Trio of pianist Rodrigo Pinheiro, bassist Hernâni Faustino and drummer Gabriel Ferrandini mark their 10th anniversary as a trio on this 2-CD set of an outstanding concert in Lisboa, PT, joining forces with the 13-member Celebration Band, whose members include John Butcher, Ernesto Rodrigues, Luis Vicente, Sei Miguel, Rodrigo Amado, Mattias Stahl, Carlos Santos, &c.
Brennan, Patrick / Maria do Mar / Ernesto Rodrigues / Miguel Mira / Hernani Faustino / Abdul Moimeme
The Sudden Bird Of Waiting
(Creative Sources)
A studio recording from the electroacoustic sextet of saxophonist & cornetist Patrick Brennan, Red Trio bassist Hernani Faustino, and Creative Sources collaborators Maria do Mar on violin, Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, Miguel Mira on cello, and Abdul Moimeme on electric guitars & objects, in a spirited set of concise and open-minded free improvisations.
Skrijelj / Rodrigues / Mira / Malmendier
lluvia
(Creative Sources)
A live performance at CreativeFest XIII at O'Culto da Ajuda, in Lisbon in 2019 from the quartet of Emilie Skrijelj on accordion, Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, Miguel Mira on cello, and Tom Malmendier on percussion, Lluvia referencing Rain as the quartet quietly builds and releases tension through subtle cues, persistent figures, tonal innuendo and shades.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC