ANDREA CENTAZZO MITTELEUROPA ORCHESTRA
The Complete Recordings 1980 - 1981
The Complete Recordings 1982 - 1983
[Ictus Records, www.ictusrecords.com]
It's amazing to see the Ictus label be back from the dead and to see musical
activity humming. From among the archival recordings, Andrea Centazzo has
once again pulled a proverbial rabbit out of a hat. His Mitteleuropa
Orchestra which was only alive for a span between 1980 through to 1983
finally gets a proper CD issue. Why would this be a crucial reissue? If
only to hear some of these artists at early points in their career. Which
musicians were involved with the Mitteleuropa Orchestra? The list is
extensive but here it goes - Franz Koglmann on flugelhorn and trumpet,
Carlos Zingaro on violin, Gianluigi Trovesi on bass clarinet and alto sax,
Theo Jorgensmann on clarinet, Radu Malfatti on trombone, Gino Commisso on
trumpet, Carlo Actis Dato on bass clarinet and baritone sax, Roberto
Ottaviano on soprano sax, Sauro D'Angelo on clarinet and alto sax, Roberto
Manuzzi on soprano and alto, Andrea Anzola and Stefano Stagni on French
horns, bassists Roberto Bartoli, Stefano Ferri and Franco Feruglio and
percussionists Bruno Cabassi, Gianpaolo Salbego, Guido Vianello, Paolo
Zanella and Piero Bertelli. Andrea Centazzo of course played drums and
various percussion and acted as the conductor. Housed inside of sturdy
metal cases [each containing 3 CDs], the music is an intricate study of how
composed music allows improvisation to occur within certain, controlled
realms. In terms of highlights, there are so many, I don't want to give you
a headache by naming each one in exact detail. Suffice it to say, Radu
Malfatti's stunning trombone guffaws near the end of the 3rd Movement of
"Echoes for Large Ensemble" makes one appreciate the man's playing before he
moved on to more microtonal climates. Same goes for the whole trumpet
section that is allowed to do some nice counter-points on the 2nd movement
of the same piece. During the first movement of "Satori for Large
Ensemble", Centazzo directs a fine point-counterpoint between saxophones and
trumpets, ending the show-down off with light percussive flickering on
triangle and shimmering hi-hat excesses. Every member of the large
orchestra gets their fair chance to solo. Though it's not immediately easy
to recognize individual voices in the crowd [something the liner notes
should mention in more detail], once the music gets going, you stop caring
about individuals and start to pay more attention to the group as a whole.
It's the communal sound that's more important in this music. Musical
variety is evident from disc to disc. While "The Radio Session" tends to be
somewhat static in terms of development, "Samudaya" holds more drama and
overall anxiety in the music. Heavy concentration on percussion is heard
throughout. It's almost as if Centazzo was purposefully giving percussion
an uneven advantage. Much of this music is calm in nature as individual
movements tend not to reach many extreme pinnacles that blow peoples heads
off. In fact, personally I find the music rather soothing than disruptive
or chaotic. Centazzo likes order and when he allows direct battles to come
around inside of the movements, these never last for extended periods. Even
in chaos, formality and order must reign. Centazzo admits in the liner
notes, "I am truly happy that, as a composer, I have never suffered from the
typical syndrome of the classical composer who writes only for ideal
instrumental combinations, for ideal criteria, in ideal forms. My objective
has always been to be able to hear my music performed immediately. This is
why I have always written for specific musicians, for existing ensembles,
with soloists I know." There's lots of music on these two volumes to absorb
- enough in fact to keep you busy for many weeks to come. In each set, a
different musical adventure awaits. If you're ready traveller, set your
course for planet Mitteleuropa without further delay.
- Tom Sekowski
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RECENZJE
+ Tatsuya Yoshida/ Piotr Zabrodzki - Karakany
+ Pharaoh Overload - Live in Suomi Finland
+ Andromelos - Andromelos
+ Fresh Maggots - Fresh Maggots
+ Unfolding - Freak Out Party: How to Blow Your Mind
+ Susan Christie - Paint a Lady
+ Jan Jelinek - Kosmischer Pitch
+ Carl Craig - The Album Formerly known As ...
+ Funkstörung - Appendix
+ Skinny Puppy - Mythmaker
+ Boogy Bytes Vol.3 - Mixer By Modeselektor
+ Adult. - Why Bother?
+ Stewart Walker - Concentricity
+ Sleep Well - Chapter III
+ Anthony Rother - Moderntronic
+ 5YR: Five Years Of Regularity - Mixed By Jaumetic
+ Dr. J present 1 Love - Neophilia
+ LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
+ International Deejay Gigolos 10 - Presented By DJ Hell
+ The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
+ Electronicat - Chez Toi
+ Dirty Doering - Saubermann
+ Matthew Dear - Deserter
+ Computer Incarnations For World Peace
- - - - - - - - -
+ HAL RAMMEL - Like Water Tightly Wound
+ MARTYN BATES - Your Jewled Footsteps
+ TERMINAL SOUND SYSTEM - Compressor
+ ROBERTO OPALIO - The Last Night of the Angel of Glass, Vol. I & II
+ THE STRANGLERS - Anthology
+ DAX PIERSON / ROBERT HORTON - Pablo Feldman Sun Riley
+ KOMMANDO RAUMSCHIFF ZITRONE - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
+ ZU & NOBUKAZU TAKEMURA - Identifications with the Enemy, A Key to the Underworld
+ YELLOW 6 - Painted Sky
+ CHRIS WATSON / BJ NILSEN - Storm
+ FENNESZ - Endless Summer
+ NINE HORSES - Money For All
+ VARIOUS ARTISTS - HEAVYBreathing - The Sounds of Sex - Vol. 3 - Stop It! - HEAVYBreathing - The Sounds of Sex - Vol. 4 - Touch Me!
+ WADADA LEO SMITH - GÜNTER BABY SOMMER - Wisdom in Time
+ KATHY DIAMOND - Miss Diamond To You
+ FRED LONBERG-HOLM TRIO - Terminal Valentine
+ JASPER LEYLAND - Fieldstone
+ KILO - Kilo / POLE - Steingarten / TELESEEN - War / HECKER - Recordings for Rephlex
+ AURAH - Etherea Borealis
+ THE STYLE COUNCIL - Live at the Full House Rock Show DVD / BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE - Live E=MC2 DVD
+ DANIEL MENCHE - Animality
>> ANDREA CENTAZZO MITTELEUROPA ORCHESTRA - The Complete Recordings 1980 - 1981 - The Complete Recordings 1982 - 1983
+ DAVID TOOP - Sound Body
+ ASTRO & SUZUKI JUNZO - Cosmic Blues Experience / SUZUKI JUNZO - November.10.2001
+ DOCTOR BOB - Dark Times
+ THE BAMBOOS - Rawville
+ VARIOUS ARTISTS - Strictly Drum and Bass - The Roots of Sly and Robbie / VARIOUS ARTISTS - The Historic Roots of Ska
+ FRED ANDERSON & HAMID DRAKE - From the River to the Ocean
+ TG MAUSS - Gravity Will Keep Us All Together
+ POEM ROCKET - Invasion!
+ JENNIFER GENTLE - A New Astronomy
+ MIRA CALIX - Eyes Set Against the Sun / !!! - Myth Takes / LONDON SINFONIETTA - Warp Works & Twentieth Century Masters
+ ISRAEL QUELLET - Oppressum
+ EINSTUERZENDE NEUBAUTEN - Palast Der Republik DVD
+ VARIOUS ARTISTS - Maiden Voyage / VARIOUS ARTISTS - Protest - Feet / ASSORTED PERFORMERS - Ghos Busters III / VARIOUS ARTISTS - The Best of Polish Jazz 2005
+ SOFTWAR - Softwar
+ THE ETERNALS - Heavy International
- - - - - - - - -
WYWIADY / RELACJE
+ Writing rhythms is easy - rozmowa z Stewart'em Walker'em
+ Regularity is the secret - wywiad z Jaumetic'em [Regular label]
+ Szybsze bicie serca - rozmowa z Patrycją Hefczyńską aka DJ Patrisią [Husky]
+ My fire is burning - wywiad z Hell'em [Gigolo Records]
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