Acanthis, by Maya Homburger, Barry Guy, Lucas Niggli

Acanthis

by Maya Homburger, Barry Guy, Lucas Niggli

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Full Digital Discography

40

releases

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Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Acanthis, J S BACH soprano arias & Swedish Folk Chorales, Syllogistic Moments, Sidereus Nuncius — The Starry Messenger, Time Passing …, Slip Slide and Collide, A Moment’s Liberty, Six Partitas for Harpsichord - Clavier Übung 1, BWV 825-830, and 32 more. , and , .

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1.	Veni Creator Spiritus 02:23	buy track
2.	Hommage à J.S.B. 01:37	buy track
3.	Liquid Stone 01:08	buy track
4.	Celebration 05:09	buy track
5.	Five for Anja, I 00:57	buy track
6.	Five for Anja, II 01:49	buy track
7.	Five for Anja, III 00:28	buy track
8.	Five for Anja, IV 01:52	buy track
9.	Five for Anja, V 01:08	buy track
10.	Thus it happened 01:26	buy track
11.	Andeutende Dynamik, Painting I 04:55	buy track
12.	Andeutende Dynamik, Painting II 04:52	buy track
13.	Andeutende Dynamik, Painting III 04:53	buy track
14.	Harbour Song 01:23	buy track
15.	Aglais 12:04	buy track
16.	Féerie d’automne 01:54	buy track
17.	Rondo for Nine Birds, I Rondo A - Wagtail 01:00	buy track
18.	Rondo for Nine Birds, II Scatter - Greenfinch 01:05	buy track
19.	Rondo for Nine Birds, III Violin Solo - Snipe 01:58	buy track
20.	Rondo for Nine Birds, IV Line - Goldcrest 01:59	buy track
21.	Rondo for Nine Birds, V Rondo B 01:01	buy track
22.	Rondo for Nine Birds, VI Hommage à G. K. - Egret 03:09	buy track
23.	Rondo for Nine Birds, VII Bass Solo - Robin 02:46	buy track
24.	Rondo for Nine Birds, VIII Rondo C 01:03	buy track
25.	Rondo for Nine Birds, IX As fast as practicable - Blackbird 01:31	buy track
26.	Rondo for Nine Birds, Slow - Tawny Owl 03:30	buy track
27.	Rondo for Nine Birds, XI Rondo D 01:02	buy track
28.	Rondo for Nine Birds, XII Fast - Lark 01:50	buy track
29.	Elegie 03:55	buy track
30.	Roundelay 00:55	buy track
31.	Hommage à Eberhard Feltz 01:49	buy track

about

It has been eighteen years since the Homburger – Guy Duo recorded an album together with a percussionist as a third partner. All these years ago we were joined by the revered Swiss percussionist Pierre Favre. On this recording we work together with another Swiss percussionist – the unique and endlessly creative Lucas Niggli who originally developed his art by studying with Pierre.

The music then consisted of baroque masterpieces as well as contemporary compositions that fulfilled our wish to present a “musical-stretching” concept where the two musical genres could faithfully coexist to take the listener on a magical mystery tour.

On this recording the “tour” continues, except on this occasion we have elected to offer a programme that is concurrent with our present times but we still want to promote the idea of “musical stretching”. No baroque music (this still happens though in our duo recitals) but a chance to hear some of the exquisite music by the iconic Hungarian composer György Kurtág, who cites J.S. Bach as one of his favourite composers. So, in a sense we have retained a link to the “old” music. Observe for instance Kurtág’s “Hommage à J.S.B.” which is spiritually related to the Double of Bach’s d minor Allemande BWV1004. We also have been privileged to receive a piece arranged by György Kurtág for our duo – “Hommage à Eberhard Feltz” based upon Samuel Beckett’s poem “Roundelay”. A version of this piece opens his opera “Endgame”, so with our love for Samuel Beckett’s work and György Kurtág’s connection to Beckett, we feel part of the family, so to speak.

Family ties aside, it certainly felt like an extremely close knit unit when Lucas Niggli joined us to create colourful and original improvisations with an uncanny knack of playing the right sound at precisely the moment where the written music invited an intervention. So, in “Celebration” and “Rondo for Nine Birds” (inspired by a beautiful drawing by the English artist Fred Hellier) Lucas had full reign to improvise imaginative counterpoints. In “Andeutende Dynamik” (my composition based on a triptych by the Hungarian artist András Wolsky) he joined us on the through – composed score which included improvised moments inspired by the paintings.

We were privileged to spend considerable time together with György and Marta Kurtág in Budapest, working in extreme detail on the one and a half minute long Duo piece “Hommage à Eberhard Feltz”. Within this session he also kindly listened to our Duo arrangements of his piano solo pieces. It’s a testimony to his generosity and flexibility as a composer that he appreciated the countless colours we enter into together.

For this recording we were hosted by Stephan Colloredo in his Old Carpet Factory Studio on the Greek island of Hydra. It would be hard to find a more magical location!

The recording duties were taken care of by Adrian Hart, a violinist himself who fully understood and participated in the structuring of the soundscape which supports the varied music that this album offers.

We hope that this magical mystery tour continues to stretch the musical imagination.

For those who have an interest in such things: Maya Homburger played this music on a violin by the master luthier Stefan Peter Greiner built in 2020, and during the recording used various baroque bows by the makers Nelly Poidevin, Basil de Visser and Mick De Hoog to best realise the sound potential of each piece.

BARRY GUY

credits

released October 17, 2022

Tracks 4, 5–9, 11–13, 15, 17–28 composed by Barry Guy (PRS/MCPS/PPL), track 3, 14 composed by Lucas Niggli, (SUISA), tracks 2, 10, 16, 29, 31 com- posed by György Kurtág, tracks 2, 10, 29 are arranged for violin and bass by Barry Guy. ”Five for Anja” is dedicated to Anja Illmaier.

Recorded by Adrian Hart 6.–9. May, 2022 at Old Carpet Factory Studio on Hydra, Greece. Assistance: John Vulgaris, Edited and mastered by Adrian Hart.

Cover art “Felsejlö Dinamika III” 2016 and “Triptych” by András Wolsky. Text by Barry Guy.
Graphic design by Jonas Schoder.
“Nine Birds” drawing by Fred Hellier.
Photos by Maya Homburger and Barry Guy.
Barry Guy plays exclusively on Thomastik-Infeld bass strings.
Produced by Maya Homburger, Adrian Hart and Stephan Colloredo.

license

about

Maya Recordings Oberstammheim, Switzerland

Barry Guy and Maya Homburger founded Maya Recordings in 1991 to take care of their desires to document the various projects that occupy their musical lives. So unusually
you will find Jazz and improvised musics alongside baroque masterpieces. ... more