Over here at Nine Chains to the Moon, we’ve yet to dive deeply into the world of modern composition. What better time than now? And so we begin...
German composer Ernstalbrecht Stiebler (born in 1934) works with drawn-out tones that slowly evolve and change, in what is referred to as a reductionist style. His compositions are minimalist, but not in the sense of the American minimalist musical movement. Stiebler is influenced by minimalism in the visual arts. As his pieces are assembled with elongated sororities, they pulsate almost organically – they’re living, breathing beings that writhe soothingly.
Zwischen den Tönen is composed of four live recordings spanning from 1997 to 2018. Each piece comprises a side of vinyl, the first slab containing “Intervall 19” and “Slow Motion”. The first composition was recorded in 1997 and was performed by the Romanian Radio Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Cristian Brâncuşi. Amsterdam-based The Barton Workshop performed “Slow Motion”, which was recorded in 2003 at Zaal 100. Both of these recordings feature multiple instruments moving as one in producing a series of long, drawn-out tones, which are woven intricately into a reverberating mass. “Slow Motion” appears to be a more intimate affair, as the sounds of the room seep into the space surrounding the music, providing a comforting sense of humanness.
The second LP features the titular piece (translated into English as “between the notes”), which was recorded in 2002 by the choral ensemble Schola Heidelberg. It is a beautifully wrought recording of intertwining female voices that requires deep listening to fully appreciate. “Ortung” is the newest of the pieces on offer, having been recorded in February of 2018. It was performed by the Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop chamber orchestra and features only strings: violin, viola, cello and contrabass. It is a thick, cloudy mist of extended string tones that is incredibly mesmerizing.
Zwischen den Tönen can be acquired by scouting out your nearest distributor. In North America, head over to Forced Exposure to get your modern composition fix.
An audio preview of Zwischen den Tönen can be found at this link. For a sneak peak from Reworks, on which a number of contemporary artists remix Stiebler, see the Bandcamp widget below...
