Cornelius Cardew was a musician who had his feet in avant-garde music. He worked as assistant of Karlheinz Stockhausen, was member of free improvisation group AMM and at the end of the sixties formed the group Scratch Orchestra. While in this orchestra he build up a huge aversion against avant-garde music and the elitist nature of this music. At the same time he turned his career in the direction of politics supporting marxist-maoist organizations. Musically a swing to more traditional folklore music was taken at the same time. For various popular causes he developed musical pieces together with his old AMM colleague Keith Rowe. Until his death in 1981 he stayed active as member of communist parties in the British politics.
The musical career of Cardew has been an influence to several musicians even leading to several festivals, like the Zakrzyienia Igly festival in Warsaw, Poland in 2007. For this festival Polish musician and composer Piotr Kurek composed several pieces to be played. As a starting point several recordings from Cardew were used, while the musicians improvised with additional instruments. With these live pieces as starting point Kurek composed the music we find on the album Lectures.
While the original setting for the festival was improvised, here things are worked out into the smallest detail. The 10 pieces are based around lectures and piano play by Cardew and around these recordings we hear clarinets, percussion and subtle computer generated sounds (among other instruments). What comes to mind is the music by the Berlin based duo Dictaphone, but in a more abstract version. The electro-acoustic music has similarities to modern free-jazz compositions, but as easily can be fitted in with modern avant-garde classical music.
Lectures is a strong release which shows great tribute to one of the innovators of avant-garde music, although Cardew might turn in his grave if someone would say this too loud.
Highly recommended release. Sietse van Erve
via Earlabs
