MICHAEL MANTLER - Coda - Orchestra Suites
ECM 073 4951
Michael Mantler (tumpet)
Orchestra conducted by Chistoph Cech
Michael Mantler is serious. You can tell that from his range of interests: Edward Gorey, Samuel Beckett, Paul Auster, Pinter. Mantler is also in thrall to what he calls his ‘own musical universe’. Reusing, reversioning, his own material has been his way of working for some years., in ‘Jazz Composer’s Orchestra Update’ presented in 2013 and 2016 he reworked substantially the 1968 album.
On ‘Coda’ again he uses some of his previous work. He does not retain the original instrumentation from the original scores but settles on a chamber orchestra consisting of flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, trumpet, french horn, trombone, tuba, guitar, piano, marimba, vibraphone, plus a string section, normally a string quintet. It was a conscious decision by Mantler to ensure that most of the musicians are from a classical background, however, there are jazz musicians which Mantler ensures give his music a jazz ambience.
The concept of Third Stream music is given fresh life by Mantler. Gunther Schuller is often credited with promulgating the concept. Schuller defined third stream as ‘a new genre of music located about halfway between jazz and classical music’. Various classical composers before Third Stream have tried to incorporate jazz into their works including Ravel, Stravinsky and Bernstein. In jazz, John Lewis, Jimmy Giuffre and Bill Russo composed works that are not straight jazz.
The main solo voices on ‘Coda’ are Bjarne Roupé guitar, Maximilian Kanzler on vibraphone and marimba and David Helbock on piano. Mantler is responsible for the trumpet solos.
Source material is drawn from Mantler’s albums ‘Thirteen’, ‘Cerco un paese innocente’, ‘Alien’, ‘Folly Seeing All This’, ‘For Two’ and ‘Hide And Seek’. The works are changed significantly ‘Cerco’ originally was a suite with words by Giuseppe Ungaretti with big band and string quartet but now is just confined to instruments. ‘Hide And Seek’ with words by Paul Auster is now instrumental.
Accompanying the album is a booklet that is unusual for an ECM release because it contains not the usual minimum information but many words from Mantler in the form of an interview. It does, however, contain some strange information hinting at finality. It defines coda as ‘a concluding statement, based on elaborations of thematic material from selected past works.’ Mantler is asked if he has plans for further updates. ‘Absolutely not. I think I have exploited my own universe as much as I feel is desirable or necessary’. Does he have plans for new compositions? ‘No. I think I’ve said what I have to say.’
Mantler believes that the playing of the soloists should move imperceptibly between written and improvised. I am not sure if he achieves that but what he does achieve is cloaking the soloists with orchestral backgrounds to almost ensure that they do not stray too far from Mantler’s intentions.
The two main soloists are Mantler on trumpet and Roupé on guitar. Roupé often sounds formulaic whereas Mantler on trumpet has a sparse lonely sound with a plaintive edge.
This is music of variety that has depth and profundity. It seeks, in the main, inspiration from the 20th rather than the 21st century. Even earlier, Bruckner is called to mind because of the denseness and solidity of the scoring. This is music that is concerned about structure and that also incorporates improvisation as an important after thought. Mantler leaves little space in any of the suites to let the music breathe.
Superficially the fourth suite with its sudden rhythmic changes is the most impressive with both trumpet and clarinet statements. It is intriguing the way that the themes are passed around the orchestra especially with the use of the tuba, The call and response of piano with the orchestra in the ‘Hide and Seek’ suite is engaging.
The orchestration of the whole suite gives the impression that Mantler is working with a group larger than he actually is. He would probably argue with the description of the music as ‘third stream’. Nonetheless, it is a very rare successful example.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
ECM 073 4951
Michael Mantler (tumpet)
Orchestra conducted by Chistoph Cech
Michael Mantler is serious. You can tell that from his range of interests: Edward Gorey, Samuel Beckett, Paul Auster, Pinter. Mantler is also in thrall to what he calls his ‘own musical universe’. Reusing, reversioning, his own material has been his way of working for some years., in ‘Jazz Composer’s Orchestra Update’ presented in 2013 and 2016 he reworked substantially the 1968 album.
On ‘Coda’ again he uses some of his previous work. He does not retain the original instrumentation from the original scores but settles on a chamber orchestra consisting of flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, trumpet, french horn, trombone, tuba, guitar, piano, marimba, vibraphone, plus a string section, normally a string quintet. It was a conscious decision by Mantler to ensure that most of the musicians are from a classical background, however, there are jazz musicians which Mantler ensures give his music a jazz ambience.
The concept of Third Stream music is given fresh life by Mantler. Gunther Schuller is often credited with promulgating the concept. Schuller defined third stream as ‘a new genre of music located about halfway between jazz and classical music’. Various classical composers before Third Stream have tried to incorporate jazz into their works including Ravel, Stravinsky and Bernstein. In jazz, John Lewis, Jimmy Giuffre and Bill Russo composed works that are not straight jazz.
The main solo voices on ‘Coda’ are Bjarne Roupé guitar, Maximilian Kanzler on vibraphone and marimba and David Helbock on piano. Mantler is responsible for the trumpet solos.
Source material is drawn from Mantler’s albums ‘Thirteen’, ‘Cerco un paese innocente’, ‘Alien’, ‘Folly Seeing All This’, ‘For Two’ and ‘Hide And Seek’. The works are changed significantly ‘Cerco’ originally was a suite with words by Giuseppe Ungaretti with big band and string quartet but now is just confined to instruments. ‘Hide And Seek’ with words by Paul Auster is now instrumental.
Accompanying the album is a booklet that is unusual for an ECM release because it contains not the usual minimum information but many words from Mantler in the form of an interview. It does, however, contain some strange information hinting at finality. It defines coda as ‘a concluding statement, based on elaborations of thematic material from selected past works.’ Mantler is asked if he has plans for further updates. ‘Absolutely not. I think I have exploited my own universe as much as I feel is desirable or necessary’. Does he have plans for new compositions? ‘No. I think I’ve said what I have to say.’
Mantler believes that the playing of the soloists should move imperceptibly between written and improvised. I am not sure if he achieves that but what he does achieve is cloaking the soloists with orchestral backgrounds to almost ensure that they do not stray too far from Mantler’s intentions.
The two main soloists are Mantler on trumpet and Roupé on guitar. Roupé often sounds formulaic whereas Mantler on trumpet has a sparse lonely sound with a plaintive edge.
This is music of variety that has depth and profundity. It seeks, in the main, inspiration from the 20th rather than the 21st century. Even earlier, Bruckner is called to mind because of the denseness and solidity of the scoring. This is music that is concerned about structure and that also incorporates improvisation as an important after thought. Mantler leaves little space in any of the suites to let the music breathe.
Superficially the fourth suite with its sudden rhythmic changes is the most impressive with both trumpet and clarinet statements. It is intriguing the way that the themes are passed around the orchestra especially with the use of the tuba, The call and response of piano with the orchestra in the ‘Hide and Seek’ suite is engaging.
The orchestration of the whole suite gives the impression that Mantler is working with a group larger than he actually is. He would probably argue with the description of the music as ‘third stream’. Nonetheless, it is a very rare successful example.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
