Manafonistas

on life, music etc beyond mainstream

2012 12 Mrz

Eine fesselnde Lateinstunde mit Anders Jormin

von: Michael Engelbrecht Filed under: Musik aus 2012 | TB | Tags:  Comments off

Die Konversation,  die der schwedische Bassist Anders Jormin gleich erwähnt, liegt schon eine kleine Ewigkeit zurück. Es war die Zeit, als er mit Bobo Stenson und Jon Christensen einen Meilenstein der Piano-Trio-Musik fabrizierte, an einem abgelegenen Ort in Schweden. „Serenity“ heisst die Doppel-CD. Damals schickte mir Anders die Antworten auf einer DAT-Kassette. Tragischerweise überspielte ich einen Teil der Kassette, was zwar nicht seine Antworten löschte, dafür ein unveröffentlichtes Stück der „Serenity-Sessions“, das mich ob seiner Einfachheit total faszinierte. Plötzlich aber wurde die Musik vom „record button“ in die ewigen Jagdgründe befördert.

Jetzt erscheint, am Freitag, das traumhafte  Album „Ad Lucem“. Die Texte  für die Stimmen von Mariam Wallentim und Erika Angell hat Jormin weitgehend in gutem altem Latein verfasst. Da schwant einem erst mal nichts Gutes: droht hier bildungsbürgerlich veredelter Kitsch, mit Donnerhall ausgestattete,  sakrale Musik, oder Epigonales, den Zeitreisen Jan Garbareks mit dem Hilliard Ensemble in lang vergangene Jahrhunderte nachempfunden? Nichts von alledem: mit einer verblüffenden Leichtigkeit entwickelt die lateinische Sprache eine Anmut, ein Flair, das anfängliche Skepsis in der Luft dieser so feinsinnigen wie spannungsgeladenen Jazzkammermusik auflöst.

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Hi, Mikael- I remember our conversation! I am very happy you like my music and I will try to answer your questions below. I also send you texts about the group and the fundamental thoughts around it… The Cd has was released in Sweden a few weeks ago -and we got some enormously warm reviews and comments already. Now, you are the first one to contact me from abroad!

I read you have written  most of the lyrics in Latin! Though the pieces have titles that refer somehow to sacral traditions, the music seems to be free of a very strong bond with liturgies and catholic ceremonies. Did you want to liberate the music a bit from typical „latin associations“? Making more use of the „aura of that language“?

Anders: The lyrics, short poems or haiku-like reflections, I wrote directly in latin. Remembering old studies, using a classical latin dictionary , using time and a true personal fascination. As you point out yourself, I really do look upon the music as being free of liturgies and catholic ceremonies, it is contemporary music -even though gregorian chant and the sacred atmosphere we can find in a quiet church full of lit candles has been present in my mind while composing. When composing, I always listen inside of myself to find a sound relevant for my hart and emotional aspiration. I also very often compose specially and directly for the carefully choosen artists being part of the music- so whatever comes out is a result of my hopes and thoughts concerning the ensemble chemistry- as well as of my inner voice. The choice of latin was the choice of an eternally international language, understood -and yet not understood- by so many. A language we intuitively associate with afterthought and reflection as well as a carrier of light and of something essential to convey.(I can add that ECM at an early stage suggested me to have the lyrics written in the inner sleeve. My reaction was not to reveal all depths and layers at once… Having already had so many questions about the words, I realise I maybe should have thought that over again…)

The music seems totally organic which surprises concerning the fact that one song is sung in English, one in Danish, and two in worldless „language“… in fact the latin language appears like a living thing. Was it a basic idea to make this old language sounding so natural? By the way, listenin to the music (and I had my latin hours at school) makes you more listen to the sound than to the words…

Anders: It is always my absolute aim to find an organic structure and development in my music. Thank you! Even though also english and danish/swedish is used besides the latin, the meaning of and the reflections in the poems sung, organically approach the same territories of life, death and love. Of light and darkness. Latin IS a very musical language, I agree. Not, maybe ,as intimate as portugese (which most vocalists love), but with an extremely dignified aura and humanistic character. As a composer, I will never know if the listener hears and experiences only the sound of syllables and lets her own hart interpret the music- or if he/she directly understands every single word. There is so many ways of listening…

Was it new territory for the two singers, too. I have no idea where their stylistic roots are. Was this moving between stilistic boundaries another idea during the writing of these pieces?

Anders: Composing for a certain ensemble for me means both imagining what each artists contributions could be- and how I as a composerat the same time can challenge them.Erika and Mariam are both ”originally” working with electronics and with a multi-instrumental approach, with free improvisation pointing towards contemporary creative pop- and they both lead groups and compose with strong integrity. It was for them totally new territory, yes. They have worked hard, I know, to find a way of singing together. Finding a mutual character they found relevant for the material and, at the same time, still being able to stay personal and intuitive. This, they have very much achieved working together only the two of them- once I had choosen and asked them, my trust was complete. The same goes for Jon and Fredrik.

The piece ”Clamor”, is it totally ”wordless”? Fredrik´s playing works fine in this old, contemporary music. He seems somehow to move, not through centuries, but through different eras of jazz, from a touch of Sidney Bechet to free playing?

Anders: Clamor (Call/Scream) starts without words, but when bass enters (and during sax solo) the vocalists sing, like an invocation: ”Mare vastum, scopulosum. Mare caeruleum. Mare infimum”. (Infinite sea. Frightening sea. Ocean of blue. Waters of eternity) And, well, Fredrik is a true improviser with an ear, instrumental knowledge and a sensitive focus of exceptional level. For me he is unique, totally Fredrik- but I understand your thought: from Bechet to contemporary music. Tradition, love, respect- and true revolutionary personality in one.I really want to point out that this my deep admiration and gratitude goes to all my four artistic contributors on Ad Lucem!

This entry was posted on Montag, 12. März 2012 and is filed under "Musik aus 2012". You can follow any responses to this entry with RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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