stefano scodanibbio: c/d, s/d, etc.

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alright so i just downloaded this thing called "voyage that never ends," which is essentially an extended double bass solo in four parts. now the premise is intriguing to start with (at least to my ears), but this exceeds all expectations. dark (a given, i suppose), drony without missing a beat, yet branching off into all sorts of strokes of genius and previously unheard-of sounds for strings. i really don't know what to compare this to.

he is also a composer for larger ensembles, though i've heard next-to-nothing of that. what say you?

― you will be shot (you will be shot), Monday, 21 February 2005 02:44 (twenty years ago)

oh yeah that album is incredible, I agree there's nothing quite like it. it starts off on a pulsey minimalist angle but the insane overtones he gets out of those strings pretty much hypnotizes you instantly, and then when he starts spiraling out... definitely a masterpiece.

http://www.newalbion.com/NA101/

I've seen Scodanibbio play with Terry Riley twice; they released the recording of their first meeting as Lazy Afternoon Among the Crocodiles. It's good; though some of Riley's keyboard presets are a bit tinky and take a little patience, but the point is, they're in just intonation, and when he and Scodanibbio get going, the textures are impossible to get a hold of, not electronic not acoustic not anything. I wish they'd put out some of those later shows, the two concerts I caught, they were already much further along than the record (which is short, 25 minutes)

There's another disc of solo playing, Geografia Amorosa; shorter pieces 1980-1998, more varied and definitely impressive. Voyage That Never Ends is the full length piece where he puts together everything he learned, but these pieces show the way there. There are two other discs I've seen about but haven't heard, one's a disc of duos. Haven't heard the ensemble works.

― (Jon L), Monday, 21 February 2005 03:13 (twenty years ago)

There's only one other double bass player I can think of in the same league, Fernando Grillo's also got remarkably precise control over the overtone series. the pieces written for him by Dumitrescu are much more molten explosive freakouts, much more visceral. The spectralism ties their approaches together but they've both got instantly recognizable seperate styles.

Frances-Marie Uitti's cello work comes to mind as well, but also very very different. Playing that involves the overtone series is starting to get explored on a wider scale, but microplacement of your fingernails on seperate strings as you keep them all sounding isn't easy.

― (Jon L), Monday, 21 February 2005 03:16 (twenty years ago)

thanks for the pointer. i've heard grillo in passing, but not uitti.

"vistas" for string quartet is the first scodanibbio piece i've encountered, on the arditti quartet's "from italy." i suppose it's more in tune with late 20th century chamber trends, but still apart.

hopefully i'll coax someone into driving me to victoriaville this year. i must hear the man live!

― you will be shot (you will be shot), Monday, 21 February 2005 04:55 (twenty years ago)

got 'voyage...' this morning...the directions he goes into after that pulse-like beginning is something I don't recall hearing (structurally) in that many pieces before. I wz listening to 'four violins' last night, and track 3 of voyage is a gd follow up to that, if you're looking for physicality.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 5 March 2005 16:29 (twenty years ago)

been listening to this stuff a bit more recently. 'voyage that never ends' & the Riley collaboration are particuarly magic.

also Grillo's great solo record 'Fluvial', and his performance on Dumitrescu's 'Medium III'.

― milton parker (Jon L), Sunday, 6 March 2005 00:48 (twenty years ago)

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