Various Artists - Wandelweiser und so weiter (2012)
| Disc 1: Confluences |
| 1 |
Natural at Last (realisation #1) |
7:51 |
| 2 |
Lieux de passage |
26:16 |
| 3 |
2011 (4) |
9:43 |
| 4 |
Natural at last (realisation #2) |
4:45 |
| 5 |
Various Distinct Spatial or Temporal Locations |
1:48 |
| 6 |
Heikou |
27:46 |
| Disc 2: Crosscurrents |
| 1 |
The Undulating Land |
5:12 |
| 2 |
Three² |
9:14 |
| 3 |
Etchings |
20:28 |
| 4 |
Sowari for Ensemble |
12:35 |
| 5 |
Field Have Ears (3b) |
30:29 |
| Disc 3: Drifts |
| 1 |
't' aus 'etwas (lied)' |
9:12 |
| 2 |
Vier, 1-12 |
21:14 |
| 3 |
Ensemble |
9:14 |
| 4 |
With the Same Material or Stil, to Vary the Material |
8:54 |
| 5 |
2 Ausführende (seiten 357-360) |
30:00 |
| Disc 4: Eddies |
| 1 |
Many, 1-4 |
5:02 |
| 2 |
Improvisation #08.01.12 |
16:25 |
| 3 |
For the Choice of Directions (realisation #1) |
9:21 |
| 4 |
For Maaike Schoorel |
5:48 |
| 5 |
For Five |
12:10 |
| 6 |
Time Intent Memory |
25:58 |
| 7 |
For the Choice of Directions (realisation #2) |
5:01 |
| Disc 5: Undertows |
| 1 |
Circular Music No. 2 |
14:44 |
| 2 |
2008 (6) |
4:56 |
| 3 |
Un champ de tendresse parsemé d'adieux (4) |
19:58 |
| 4 |
For Sesshū Tōyō |
11:34 |
| 5 |
Descending Series (1) |
28:39 |
| Disc 6: Upwellings |
| 1 |
Prelude for Meditation |
1:13 |
| 2 |
Little by Little (realisation #1) |
9:55 |
| 3 |
Confod Pen Bore / Morning Records |
9:10 |
| 4 |
Natural at Last (realisation #3) |
9:00 |
| 5 |
Little by Little (realisation #2) |
747 |
| 6 |
Drinking and Hooting Machine |
8:09 |
| 7 |
Little by Little (realisation #3) |
6:58 |
| 9 |
Eine unbedeutende Aussage |
7:18 |
| 9 |
Von da nach da |
19:41 |
Wandelweiser is a movement/idea/musical group based around the use of silence in music. The group started in the mid 90s and though have kept a relatively small and tight knit circle of performers has overtime grown their numbers. Building off of the blueprints left by famous experimental composer John Cage, Wandelweiser performers seek to utilize silence in their music, along with an emphasis on performance art and "composition".
"Wandelweiser und so weiter" loosely translates to "Wandelweiser and so on", to imply that this compilation is not all that Wandelweiser has to offer, only a small selection (despite its 8 hour runtime). In my opinion, it was a pretty good listen. the artists have a strong focus on experiencing serenity and "zen" through their music, which i have to say translated pretty well. There are lots of very beautiful tracks, with at least one major standout on each of the 6 discs. Field recordings, electroacoustic improvisational pieces, lowercase works, and hyperminimal piano performances make this a pretty jam packed and interesting listen. There are however some flops. Track length can be a real pain sometimes and while the use of silence is nice, it becomes more annoying than enjoying or captivating if you are listening anywhere that isnt a library or home alone. Still though, a great listen and definitely recommended to anyone looking to get into this type of music or for people already into it.
A side note, I also downloaded the physical information for the album. I think that reading about these artists and their compositions have given me a new kind of appreciation for this type of music. Hearing it is definitely one thing, but I think realizing what is going on under the hood is equally as important. I definitely recommend everyone who hears this to read into the info as well, the digital download comes with a scan of the booklet. In a closing discussion between some of Wandelweiser's members, they bring up the importance of the listener. I think that for the composers, performers, and listeners, it is essential to understand and realize what each and every party has done to contribute to the piece in question.
