| Jazz |
Here is an album somewhat out of time, composed of two CDs. The first features the work of Claude Bolling, a famous French composer who passed away in 2020, a friend of all the great American jazz musicians of his generation. In 1984, he wrote a work (a suite in six movements for cello) for the artist Yo-Yo Ma, which was recorded at Davout Studio in Paris.
1984 is the theme of this album, from which Remy Leboeuf drew inspiration from the novel *1Q84*. It was also in 1984 that Kate Bush created *Running Up That Hill*. On the first CD, we find Claude Bolling’s work, while the second features tracks from various artists written in 1984. Whether intentionally or not, this new music served as an antidote to the anxieties of the time: massive inflation, the AIDS epidemic, financial instability, and a growing fear and obsession with technology—all of this was in the air. Von Hattenberger’s bold reinterpretation of this famous crossover suite maintains the same overwhelming joy and finesse as the original. The “Bolling Suite” – over an hour long, in six movements – forms the first CD of this ambitious double album.
There’s nothing to criticize about the excellence of this cellist’s performance, but by adhering too closely to the score (having performed it myself at the time), one eventually gets bored. What one would have loved is a bit of boldness and playfulness in the arrangements that could have elevated this work. So, on the first CD, there’s just the pleasure of hearing a lovely cello, relentlessly classical, while today, artists like Nesrine make us dream with personal compositions, using both her voice and electric cello.
The second CD is far more interesting, with more of a search for sound and arrangements that better help us understand the cellist’s inspiration. 1984, pop music is everywhere, more or less inspired, but it moves, and here too, though once again, unfortunately, there’s no deviation from the path—everything stays on well-defined tracks. It’s beautiful, even very beautiful, but the lack of boldness that’s missing from the first CD remains the same on the second. After the first track, I took off my headphones (which allow for deep listening) and switched to playing it as background music on the speakers. It’s worth mentioning that we at the editorial office are somewhat spoiled, so albums like this, where aesthetics take precedence over creativity, struggle to convince us. Nevertheless, this album will interest all students of conservatories and other music schools, as it remains an excellent example of a very academic performance. Considering Sahara von Hattenberg’s skill as an instrumentalist, we give this double album three stars.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, October 6th 2024
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