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Towards Silence

£12.69

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Label: ECM New Series

Cat No: 4766180

Barcode: 0028947661801

Format: CD

Number of Discs: 1

Release Date: 27th August 2007

Artists

Paul Giger
Marie-Louise Dahler

Artists

Paul Giger
Marie-Louise Dahler

About

Towards Silence, Paul Giger’s sixth ECM record, offers his and Marie Louise Dähler’s attractive compositions and collective improvisations interspersed with movements by J S Bach. It’s the first time that classically-trained Giger has included “classical” compositions on one of his albums. The two musical poles are juxtaposed most clearly on the two opening tracks where an extensive free improvisation for violin and harpsichord precedes the famous Aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Subsequently, the musicians plunge into a subtle dialogue between Bach (the four movements of his Sonata in F minor, BWV 1018) and their own music. The latter is marked by repetitive patterns and a strong pulse reminiscent of minimalism, its originality due to multi-faceted sonic ideas. Dähler’s harpsichord is prepared in some pieces, producing half-wholetone or mixed scales. On ‘Cemb a Quattro’ the instrument is played with four hands, with Giger treating the strings of the harpsichord with dulcimer hammers while Dähler touches the keys. Most tracks are based on a restricted stock of notes that convey seemingly distant soundscapes and explore the common ground between diverse musical idioms.

Swiss-born Paul Giger travelled Asia as a busker before studying music in Bern. After three years leading the St Gallen Symphony Orchestra, he embarked on a freelance career playing Baroque to contemporary composition, improvisation, jazz, and music of diverse folk traditions. He has collaborated with Pierre Favre, Jan Garbarek, the Hilliard Ensemble and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, composed choral, orchestral and chamber music and released five previous albums on ECM. More details at: www.paul-giger.ch

Marie-Louise Dähler, who has been playing duos with Giger since 1999, comes from Berne and began the harpsichord aged five. She studied with her father, Jörg Ewald Dähler, and with Johann Sonnleitner in Zurich. Much in demand as a teacher, Dähler has a busy concert schedule both as a soloist and chamber musician interpreting old as well as new music.