SHADOW BEHIND THE IRON SUN
Evelyn Glennie Improvisations
Evelyn Glennie (percussion) with Michael Brauer, David Motion, Oliver
Walker, Philip Smith & David Hobson.
BMG 09026
63406-2
[71.11]
Crotchet
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UK
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USA
The new Glennie/Brauer CD of improvisations shadow behind the
iron sun is a vastly impressive demonstration of the range of percussive
possibilities from a huge array of instruments, from evocative wisps of sound
to tumultuous orgies of violence. With the assistance of several other musicians
and state of the art mixing, this is a great demo CD for a hi-fi
system.
It was recorded in a studio over five days in October 1998, with no thought
then towards live presentation. Brauer describes the genesis of their
collaboration and Glennie's own notes are excellent, describing the instruments
used in each of the 12 main titled tracks, some of which play continuously
(first contact; attack of the glow worm; icefall; warrior's chant;
last contact etc) - I thought it a mistake to have included at the end
a thirteenth, Battle cry (bonus mix), which cuts off abruptly to
disconcerting effect.
Evelyn Glennie is an artist who is not content to stand still, and is continually
seeking new directions to express her prodigious talent. Perhaps she had
become disappointed and disillusioned by some of the commissioned compositions
she has premiered which have proved ephemeral?
Entering the 21st century at her peak and with long experience
at the top, perhaps Evelyn Glennie feels she can now do as well without composers
and notated scores? Her CDs for the now troubled BMG company have been of
high excellence, always with marvellous sound, and this is well up to standard.
Peter Grahame Woolf
(See also Marc Bridle's
S&H
review of Glennie's 100 minute improvised live recital with
Michael Brauer (QEH, 23 July.)
