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Sven Åke Johansson - Für Paul Klee (review)

 

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“Für Paul Klee” is a record combining poems by Klee read by Sven Åke Johansson with arranged improvisations by Alexander von Schlippenbach, Aki Takase, Axel Dörner, Werner Dafeldecker and Paul Lovens. The arrangement seems to be (with the exception of a few composed bits) mainly an orchestration of the improvisers. One cannot help but hear an echo in this music of pieces from the second Viennese school like “Pierrot Lunaire” by Arnold Schönberg and “Wozzeck” by Alban Berg, but this group offers something completely different consisting of the exceptional improvisational skills and the strong individualities of each musician.

The form of the whole record goes through different constellations of the group, which gives it alot of space and clarity. This isn’t easy to do and not many improvising sextets (or even quartets) have been able to create such a clear and sharp result. The parametres of interplay in a sextet is something much more complex and challenging than in a small group, becuase so many more relationships are at play. The freedom aspect of improvisation can become an obstacle in such a situation, if the musicians don’t have a tremendous ability to listen to the totality, and use themselves as a tool of orchestration. This is exactly what this group of musicians are experts at. While listening, I never had the feeling that the silent members of the group were impatiently waiting to enter the band. Everything seems self-evident and that everything is allowed to take its time. The musicians are enormously mature and patient. Having said that, they don’t take that virtue to its disadventageous level, where patience and calm become boring and passive. Each section tells a new part of the story, a different perspective. A part of what makes this suite so interesting is that the instrumentation, and the different permutations of this intrumentation, is so captivating. The combination of celesta, piano and percussion gives a very unusual, dreamy sound. The structures coming from the interplay are very complex and subtle. It’s very rich.

One very striking thing here is the incredible sound of the drums. Lovens is unsurpassed in the art of tuning drums. It’s a sound which is awe-inspiring. His contributions are always both simple and complex - essential is the word which fits best. The timing, imaginativeness and meaningfulness of his phrases just proves again and again what a master he is. Here he is in the company of equally great masters. Dörner always gives each situation something which we didn’t know was needed, but turned out to be the perfect piece to the puzzle. Takase has a tremendous personality, musicality and touch. Schlippenbach also has a great timing and sense of form. Dafeldecker isn’t extrovertly self-assertive, but brings very tasteful things to the table which benefits the whole. Last, but not least, Johansson’s sprechgesang is an iconic contribution to the world of free improvisation. His musicality, originality and humour is one of a kind.

In the end, it’s the collective effort and the whole of the music which matters. Listening to this record means entering another world that’s dreamlike, complex, subtle, funny, serious… No need to explain further, listen to it yourself!

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