Reviewed By C. Michael Bailey

Uncompromising Art. The first thing the new listener notices is not the music but the presentation. Replacing the standard jewel case that traditionally house compact discs is a book-like corduroy-textured cardboard cover, tactfully colored in autumnal hews easy on the eyes and psyche. The second thing the listener notices is the exquisitely esoteric artwork. Sometimes this artwork is an uncommon painting; sometimes it was produced by an uncommon master. Sometimes the artwork defies description. The overall effect of these elements to the package appearance is one of well-conceived rustic elegance, something the old classics in a proper home library must have looked like when they were new.

Once opened, the listener (who up until now has not heard a note) is presented on the left side with the compact disc cradled in a carefully designed sling of heavy cardstock containing a CD embossed with the same or similar figure as that on the cover. On the right side is more of a fold out heavy on more artwork and light on traditional liner notes. Taken as a whole, the compact discs prepared and marketed by Winter & Winter are artistic events with a quiet and urbane style that nevertheless screams of individuality and uncompromising creativity. And to imagine, we have not even made it to the music yet. Music. Yes, there is the music.

The Iconoclast’s Declaration. The Winter & Winter magazine advertisements boast a quote from the publication Zürcher Zeitung, “…they arrive like a manifesto on the status of jazz and music…”.

That is to say the very least.

The music currently in release spans a period from the 16th Century well into the 21st. The fifty-odd releases currently darting around include everything from Lute and Continuo music by French Baroque composer Antoine Forqueray to New Yorker Uri Caine’s reinvention of Wagner, Mahler, and Tin Pan Alley. There are old timers like J.S. Bach and living composers like Argentinean Mauricio Kagel represented in the W&W catalog. The music is carefully chosen to reflect something other than a pedestrian view or taste.

The concept of Winter & Winter is wholly the brainchild of Stefan Winter. In an interview with Fanfare’s Martin Anderson, Winter discussed his intense commitment to the total product. About the unique packaging, Winter states, “I was trying to find something in a way similar to a book, so that it’s possible to present, besides the music, also the artworks, the painting or whatever it is I’m using (the photos and so on) in the same quality as I would like to present the music.” Regarding the sonic side of recording, Winter has put great thought into the types of microphones used for the individual projects as well as the recording venues. For example, Winter had cellist Paolo Beschi record the Bach Cello Suites (W&W 910 028-2) at the cellist home, “We were sitting in [Beschi’s] living room in this old house in Como, in Italy, with a pretty nice acoustic. I was sitting just next to him, every close [while he played parts of the Suites]. After I left his house , I just thought to myself how I experienced the music, how the sound he played was influencing my body, and that’s how I wanted to have it at the end on the CD, so that the listener at home would have the same impression.”

And so is the philosophy for the recording of all Winter & Winter Projects. Whether it is Uri Caine on the streets of Venice performing Wagner (Wagner e Venezia, W&W 910 013) or Teodoro Anzelotti performing Kagel on the accordion (Solowerke für Akkordeon & Klavier, W&W 910 035), Stefan Winter’s singular vision remains at the center of his creative hurricane. This vision is further defined in the division of the label. The “Basic Edition” devotes itself to compositions and performances up to the 20th Century. The “New Edition” addresses new works and contemporary composition. The “Artist Edition” highlights 20th Century improvisation. Taken as a whole, contemporary is the key operative. Contemporary performance, contemporary composition, contemporary philosophy.

Basic Edition. The Basic Edition houses the standard and nonstandard. The aforementioned Bach Cello Suites, while well represented in the market place show up here because of their monumental importance to Western Music. They have also been very favorably reviewed. Franz Schubert’s Piano Trios (W&W 910 018-2) are rarer than the Bach but were equally well received in the critical community. Uri Caine’s Tin Pan Alley (W&W 910 038) offers a cultural snapshot in music of late 19th Century New York. And that is just a smattering of what Winter and Winter has to offer for the “older” repertoire. I selected Bagpipes From Hell for discussion of the Basic Edition because of the title and cover art Hieronymus Bosch’s “Hell” for The Garden of Earthly Delights. One cannot go wrong with a title like that.

Bagpipes From Hell— Vittorio Ghielmi and Luca Pianca (910 050-2). Bagpipes From Hell highlights the use of two staple instruments from the Renaissance and Baroque period, the viola de gamba and the lute. Andrew Manze and his group Romanesca (Harmonia Mundi France), have gone a long way in documenting the music played on these instruments and now Vittorio Ghielmi and Luca Pianca chime in. Here we have two specialists from the Italian early music ensemble Il Giardino Armonico plying their wares on a unique collection or 17th and 18th century compositions for the viola de gamba, mostly from Western Europe. Of note are the compositions of Antoine Forqueray, a contemporary of fellow Frenchman, Françios Couperin. This is a moody, ethereal collection that is very easy to listen to. Just imagine listening to this while sitting in your castle sipping port by the fire after dinner. The Winter & Winter factor here is the superb title and art work, not to mention the exceptional music.

New Edition. The New Edition boasts an accordion treatment of Eric Satie by the Liszt-like accordion virtuoso Teodoro Anzelotti (W&W 910 031-2) and Uri Caine’s vision of Bach’s Goldberg Variations (W&W 910 054). The keyword of these and other New Edition releases is Invention. I Selected maestro Caine’s Gustav Mahler In Toblach because of its celebration of this invention.

Gustav Mahler In Toblach: “I Went Out This Morning Over The Countryside”— The Uri Caine Ensemble (910 046-2). Uri Caine has been busy for Winter & Winter. His Mahler projects are just the tip of an iceberg that includes the aforementioned interpretations of Wagner, American Tin Pan Alley, and his own trio imagination (Blue Wail, W&W 910 034). Gustav Mahler in Toblach is one of two Mahler projects, the other being Primal Light (W&W910 004-2), which was originally prepared as a soundtrack for a silent film project on the life of the Bohemian composer. These are the live performances, played in Toblach where Mahler wrote his last works. Rather than classify these as jazz performances as other critics have, I would rather consider them music passed through a Jewish prism. All of the pieces (once they have settled down reflect a serious Klezmer personality highlighting both Mahler’s and Caine’s heritage. Toblach has received mixed reviews from the media who refuse to see it as anything other than “classical performance”. I think that this is a superb introduction to or adjunct with the traditional Mahler performance. This is a thoroughly enjoyable set. The Winter & Winter factor here is the sheer guts of taking on this music and presenting it in such a revolutionary manner.

Artist Edition.. The Artist Edition offers more Uri Caine, trumpeter Dave Douglas, drummer Paul Motian. The music here lies somewhere between the cutting edge and whatever comes after it. I selected Chasons d’Édith Piaf because of its gentle spirit and craftsman-like performance.

Chasons d’Édith Piaf— Tethered Moon (910 048-2)

Tethered Moon is an ethereal piano trio composed of pianist Masabumi Kikuchi, bassist Gary Peacock, and drummer Paul Motian. Their first recording for the label was Tethered Moon: First Meeting (Winter&Winter 16), released in 1998. They return with a willowy tribute to chanteuse Édith Piaf. This is a quiet collection of songs, played with a light if not rhythmic touch. Gary Peacock is often given the lead in providing the melody. He deftly navigates the tricky “” and wispy “”. Winter & Winter regular Paul Motian rounds out the naked rhythm section with his impeccable time keeping. There are included the readily familiar tunes, “Que Nadie Sepa Mi Sufrir”, “La Vie En Rose”, and “L’Homme de Berlin”.

Persnickety listeners beware. You may Masabumi Kikuchi’s find Keith Jarrett-like vocalizations of Kikuchi troublesome. For those that can get beyond this performance noise, Chasons d’Édith Piaf is a unearthly treat with Tethered Moon as a collective unit weaving in and out of superbly-crafted songs without leaving footprints. The Winter & Winter factor here is the choice of repertoire. While the songs of Piaf are not unheard of in jazz, they are infrequent.

The Future. Winter & Winter is perhaps the most eclectic and exciting label to emerge in the 1990s. Herr Winter’s firm vision ensures that much more interesting and challenging music will be released in the future. this critic looks forward to it.