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| Manuel Göttsing - Concert For Murnau |
 Released: 2005 Label: MG Art Cat. No.: MG.ART 302 Total Time: 55:38 | |
Reviewed by: Marcelo Silveyra, May 2006 F.W. Murnau. If the name doesn't ring a bell, perhaps the silent movie Nosferatu does. Manuel Göttsching. If the name doesn't ring a bell, perhaps the band Ash Ra Tempel does. Or perhaps not; it's not really important. Here's the breakdown: Manuel Göttsching, an electronic progressive rock and Krautrock pioneer who some now fashion a minimalist composer, was commissioned to write a score to accompany a silent film of his choice by the Filmfest Braunschweig folks. He happened to pick F.W. Murnau's much-lesser-known Schloss Vogelöd. The result, without the accompanying film, is Concert For Murnau, sans a few bits here and there. And this, my friends, is the review. Those acquainted with Göttsching's more modern, often sublime, and always expansive electronic output will see their expectations only halfway corresponded on this record, since the other half resides somewhere different and (arguably) a bit less intimate. Sure, the longest sections of this soundtrack are trademark Göttsching material, but the rest is a quasi-minimalist set of small chamber pieces written for violins, cello, and horns. Purely acoustic pieces? You bet. Quasi-minimalist? That's right. While the not-so-interesting "Demaskierung" begins with a harmonic language straight out of Philip Glass' Glassworks and a definite minimalist nature, its companions don't quite make the tag, although they're mighty close. But enough about definitions, let's sink our teeth into this baby. As should be expected, some of the electronic portions of Concert For Murnau are simply a delight, particularly the beautifully warm and flowing "The Party" and the nocturnally gorgeous "Der Abend." However, "High Noon" seems to have needed the images from Murnau's film to work effectively, and "Saint and Sinner" is overly mellifluous, so that, much like with other soundtracks, it's impossible not to wonder what the effect would be if they were listened to with the movie playing. Moreover, later Göttsching efforts require vast expanses of time to develop and embrace the listener's psyche, something that was obviously limited by the time constraints of writing to an established time frame. No wonder then that this German composer decided to use some chamber pieces as well, right? Right. However, those are a bag of mixed results as well. The hunting horn call nature of "Ouvertüre" is naïvely charming in a way, and the dark string writing of "Die Beichte" and "Accused" is simply enthralling. But just as with their electronic counterparts, there are a couple of slackers here as well, in particular the tediously repeating violin motifs of "Auf Zur Jagd." The overall result? An enjoyable album, to be sure, but nothing really spectacular. Concert For Murnau is, in a way, a sampler of the greatness that Göttsching has amply demonstrated throughout the years, and in that respect an interesting effort to which to listen, but without the film reel rolling simultaneously, it's simply impossible to put it right up there with the rest of Göttsching's magnificent output. Simliar artists: Klaus Schulze, Tim Blake, Tangerine Dream, Philip Glass Rating: 3.5/5 More about Concert For Murnau: Track Listing: Ouvertüre (2:01) / The Party (9:53) / Auf Zur Jagd (5:21) / Der Abend (4:28) / Die Beichte (3:04) / Double Or Quits (2:10) / High Noon (8:47) / Accused (3:04) / Saint And Sinner (9:48) / Demaskierung (3:39) / Leitmotiv (2:17) / Zirkus (0:37) Musicians: Contact: Website: www.ashra.com Discography
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