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Rodrigues, Ernesto / Tristan Honsinger / Guilherme Rodrigues / Klaus Kurvers: Ignis Fatuus (Creative Sources)

Recording in Germany, Creative Source's two Rodrigues'--Ernesto on viola and Guilherme on cello--along with double bassist Klaus Kurvers, celebrate legendary improvising cellist Tristan Honsinger's birthday in this studio album of active playing with a chamber quartet feeling through superb technical skills yielding electrifying string improvisation.
 

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Personnel:



Ernesto Rodrigues-viola

Tristan Honsinger-cello

Guilherme Rodrigues-cello

Klaus Kurvers-double bass


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UPC: 5609063405521

Label: Creative Sources
Catalog ID: cs552
Squidco Product Code: 26214

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2018
Country: Portugal
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded at Studio W17, in Berlin, Germany, on October 23rd, 2017 (Tristan's birthday) by Klaus Kurvers.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Regarding the quartets involving both Ernesto and Guilherme Rodrigues, of course, with two differentiated guests, one perceives "at least" a trio-style interaction, even when the two Rodrigueses employ styles that seem to be in continuity with one another: Most recently, like RRR, The distant sound within seems to be a relatively straightforward followup album, in this case to Nuc Box Hums (recorded the prior October in Berlin, and discussed here in March 2017), with one ensemble substitution, in this case Adam Pultz Melbye for Adam Goodwin on bass. (And whereas Pultz Melbye hasn't been a regular on Creative Sources, he has already appeared here e.g. with Rotozaza Zero, and most recently on Loud, as discussed this past June.) In both cases, the quartet is completed by Kriton Beyer, previously on daxophone, and more recently on harmonium and objects. The distant sound within, which also involves a series of short tracks (as did Nuc Box Hums, both sets with track titles, perhaps due to Beyer), likewise includes some intriguing textural explorations (such as a kind of composite "raspberry"), as well as reference to interiority, but is also surely the less exciting (and challenging) album of the two. (So it might also be praised for its relative accessibility....) Later in the album, there are some passages showing more "traditional" combinations of strings and harmonium, such that the latter might be taken for organ or accordion... these also tend to involve more continuity and momentum via ostinato, etc.

Farther afield, evoking a more romantic stylistic orientation, Ignis Fatuus involves Ernesto and Guilherme Rodrigues with Tristan Honsinger and Klaus Kurvers - to yield another "variant" string quartet, this time with two cellos and bass (and of course viola in the top part): Kurvers has already appeared here, both e.g. on Creative Sources (most recently around Discoveries, discussed here last October, i.e. approximately when Ignis Fatuus was being recorded) and elsewhere (first on Rotations from the double bass quartet Sequoia, mentioned in December 2014). But the more widely known performer is cellist Honsinger, and he seems to bring more traditional, even folksy, priorities or orientations: I had mentioned him briefly with In The Sea last August, but Honsinger first appeared on Creative Sources with Laura, released earlier this year (and likewise recorded last October), a rather "popular" album revolving around ballad forms (and so rather uncharacteristic for Ernesto Rodrigues - although not necessarily for e.g. Axel Dorner).

Ignis Fatuus is also rather different, a less austere or minimal album than most frequently appears here from Creative Sources, although it can also involve a heavy dose of classical austerity (and dissonance) at times, usually amid lively counterpoint. (Its lively thematic concerns are thus more akin to e.g. 20th century classical string quartets, including their characteristic incorporation of "other" folk materials... Honsinger's vocal contributions aside.) Perhaps it will attract a different audience, and indeed Honsinger (on whose birthday Ignis Fatuus was recorded) appears to be popular in other niches.... Post-romanticism aside, it's a rather meaty album, particularly (I would think) for someone who isn't familiar with Rodrigues"-Todd McComb's Jazz Thoughts


Get additional information at Todd McComb's Jazz Thoughts

Artist Biographies

"He has been playing the violin for 30 years and in that time has played all genres of music ranging from contemporary music to free jazz and improvised music, live and in the studio.

His main interest shifted towards contemporary improvised and composed music.

The relationship with his instruments is focused in sonic and textural elements.

Electronic music was an early influence on his approach to violin playing, which challenges traditional romantic concepts of the violin/viola through use of preparations and micro tuning.

Active in different settings on the Portuguese scene for free improvised music, both as a collaborator and in leading his own groups.

Music for Dance, Cinema, Video and Performance.

Has created the record label Creative Sources Recordings in 1999, which mainly concentrates on releasing experimental and electro-acoustic music."

-Creative Sources (http://creativesourcesrec.com/creative_artists.html)
12/4/2023

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

"Tristan Honsinger told Kevin Whitehead, 'I grew up in New England, took up cello at age nine in Springfield, Massachusetts... My first teacher was a Dutch Jew. Almost all my teachers were European immigrants. Later I went to the New England Conservatory. It was quite a good school, but I didn't feel very welcome, so I went to Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore from '68 to '69. By then I'd had it, really, with the whole classical music world. I changed teachers so many times, I suppose I was confused by their contradictory advice'.

It was after moving to Montreal in 1969 that Honsiner began improvising and, after meeting Dutch percussionist Peter van Ginkel and listening to his copy of Topography of the lungs, decided he could play this music and uprooted to Europe, moving to Amsterdam in 1974: 'They arrested me the first time I played my cello in the street... confiscated our instruments'. As a result, he moved to Paris, travelled around France, eventually finding his way back to Amsterdam where he began playing with Maarten van Regteren Altena, Han Bennink and Misha Mengelberg as well as being involved in Derek Bailey's Company Weeks and playing with Globe Unity.

The late '70s and early '80s were spent in Italy with Katie Duck, working with theatre - Duck had her group the Great Salt Lake Mime Troupe - and Italian and Sardinian musicians. During this time, Honsinger started his group This, That and the Other, the early version including Tiziana Simona, Sean Bergin, Toshinori Kondo, Jean-Jacques Avenel and Michael Vatcher which recorded Picnic in Amsterdam in 1985. 'Because of a promoter's brilliant organising, the group kind of fell apart', but there have been fairly regular and recent incarnations, including an appearance at the Italian Angelica Festival in 1996.

Since the memorable set of concerts in Berlin in 1988, released on the much sought-after FMP box set, Honsinger has been a fairly regular member of Cecil Taylor's groups. At those concerts, Honsinger performed in a trio with Taylor and Evan Parker as well as being a member of the large European Orchestra but since then he has been a member of various Taylor groups, including the now-disbanded European Quartet with Harri Sjöström and Paul Lovens, including an unusual combination that performed at the Total Music Meeting in November 1999: the Cecil Taylor Ensemble with Franky Douglas, Tristan Honsinger and Andrew Cyrille."

-European Free Improv Site (http://www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/musician/mhonsing.html)
12/4/2023

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

"Was born 1988 in Lisboa, Portugal and started playing cello and trumpet at Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa at the age of 7. In 1999 joined Conservatório Nacional de Música de Lisboa to study classical and music theory and in the current year recorded his first album - Multiples - with Ernesto Rodrigues and José Oliveira out on Creative Sources Recordings.

Apart from work in music ensembles ranging for contemporary classical to free improvisation, also works with live music poetry, theatre and film-music. After lengthy residency in Lisboa, (1988-2016) moved to Berlin and has been active as composer and improviser in the scene.

Worked with some international and renewed artists like Ernesto Rodrigues, Jean-luc Guionnet, Margarida Garcia, Manuel Mota, Alfredo Costa Monteiro, Sei Miguel, Tim Goldie, Jeffrey Morgan, Oren Marshall, Gerhard Uebele, Klaus Kurvers, Gabriel Paiuk, Nicolas Field, Jaime Fennelly, Blaise Siwula, Will Guthrie, Pawel Grabowski, Michael Thieke, Wade Matthews, Leonel Kaplan, Diego Chamy, Gabriel Paiuk, Barry Weisblat, Joe Giardullo, Jassem Hindi, Tisha Mukarji, Masahiko Okura, Taku Unami, Toshihiro Koike, Sharif Sehnaoui, Christine Abdelnour, Alexandre Bellenger, Carlos Zingaro, Romaric Sobac, Nuno Rebelo, Nuno Torres, Naoto Yamagashi, Heddy Boubaker, Gerhard Uebele, Guillermo Torres, Tomas Gris, Carlos Santos, Bruno Parrinha, Miguel Leiria Pereira, Miguel Ivo Cruz, Alberto Cirera, Nuno Morão, Mark Sanders, Dennis Gonzaléz, Alípio Carvalho Neto, Raymond Macdonald, Neil Davidson, David Stachenas, Lisa Ullén, D'incise, Cyril Bondy, Miguel Mira, Rodrigo Amado, Abdul Moimême, Monsieur Trinité, João Madeira, Álvaro Rosso, Gil Gonçalves, Marian Yanchyk, Filipe Passos, Rodrigo Pinheiro, Christian Wolfarth, Thanos Chrysakis, Bechir Saade, Kurt Liedwart, Miguel A. Garcia, Ilia Belorukov, Andrew Lafkas, Gao Jiafeng, Eric Wong, Johan Moir, Casey Moir, Magda Mayas, Matthias Muller, Alexander Frangenheim ...

Has performed and toured in all Europe. Released more than 30 albums of his own projects."

-Creative Sources (http://creativesourcesrec.com/creative_artists.html)
12/4/2023

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

"Klaus Kürvers, born 1950 in Essen (Germany), doublebass studies 1964-68 among others with Peter Trunk. During the late sixties member of the Essen Jazz groups ("Free Jazz" since 1967); 1969-71 in Cologne with the Jazz-Rock-Group "Eiliff" (w / Rainer Brüninghaus). Interupted 1971-2006 his public music activities for his studies and professional scientific career as an architect and cultural historian in Berlin. Since 2006 resumption of his musical activities as part of the Berlin improvisers' scene. Performing bassist again since 2009."

-Klaus Kurvers Website (translated by Google) (https://ausland-berlin.de/klaus-kurvers)
12/4/2023

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


Track Listing:



1. Figment of Imagination I 8:41

2. Interjection A 1:49

3. Figment of Imagination II 11:25

4. Interjection B 1:54

5. Figment of Imagination III 8:52

6. Interjection C 1:34

7. Figment of Imagination IV 7:56

Related Categories of Interest:


Creative Sources
Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
Stringed Instruments
European Improvisation and Experimental Forms
Quartet Recordings
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Creative Sources.


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