Two Contrasting Albums on Another Timbre?

On the surface, the latest batch of releases from the Another Timbre label looks pretty much as expected, with each sleeve having the label's usual front cover format of a monochrome photograph of a landscape or work of art beneath which is printed the composer's name beneath which the album title beneath which the performers' names. As they are the first two numerically, Penumbra by two young Americans, Morgan Evans-Weiler & J.P.A. Falzone and Longing Landscape by Swiss resident Jürg Frey will be reviewed together. It is noticeable that the first one credits no performers, indicating the composers performed it. The second one does credit performers, an ensemble not seen before on Another Timbre. Can these two albums possibly be compatible? Let's see...

Morgan Evans-Weiler & J.P.A. Falzone.
Penumbra
Another Timbre
2025

Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Morgan Evans-Weiler's work ranges from composition and sound installation to drawing and design. He maintains a busy performance schedule and has performed throughout the USA as well as in Europe. He has collaborated and performed with Antoine Beuger, Magnus Granberg, Christoph Schiller and many others. Evans-Weiler is director of the New England-based ensemble Ordinary Affects which has performed works by Jürg Frey, such as 120 Pieces of Sound (Elsewhere, 2018), and by Granberg. Evans-Weiler has premiered works by Beuger, and by Michael Pisaro with whom he shared a previous Another Timbre album lines and traces.

J.P.A. Falzone, who jointly performed Evans-Weiler's composition "Penumbra (2024)" with him, is a long-standing member of Ordinary Affects and the two previously shared an Another Timbre double CD Chordioid on which each of them had a disc where they played one of their compositions. In an interview with Another Timbre, Evans-Weiler said this of "Penumbra (2024)," "The pages for the piece are simple sets of melodic and harmonic material. I came in with concepts for the electronic tones for each movement and some ideas for approaching the performance. Other than that, what you hear is an exploration of a simple set of material and our navigations through it together." Across the piece's four parts which total 43' 23," Evans-Weiler plays violin and electronics, and Falzone plays prepared piano and celesta. The end result is music which is soothingly uncluttered and tranquil; the two players sound as if they know one another well and understand each other's playing inside out, so that there are no shocks or surprises. Altogether, an enjoyable listening experience from first note to last. More soon, please.

Jürg Frey
Longing Landscape
Another Timbre
2025

Although to some there might appear to be considerable differences between Morgan Evans-Weiler & J.P.A. Falzone and Jürg Frey, there are some striking similarities which make them seem closer. Yes, Evans-Weiler and Falzone are both American born and still live in USA, while Frey is Swiss, but for each of them their compositions on these albums are quite recent (and post-covid) rather than being more vintage pieces from the archives. Even though Frey is a prolific composer, with many fine compositions dating back to 1984, the three compositions here date from 2023/2024, 2024 and 2022/2023, whereas four of the seven compositions on his previous Another Timbre release Outermost Melodies dated from 1994 to 2003. Just as the sound of Penumbra was influenced by Evans-Weiler and Falzones' experience in Ordinary Affects, so was that of Longing Landscape by the fact that it was performed by Prague Quiet Music Collective, an ensemble formed in 2021 who also commissioned the three pieces which comprise the album. Unsurprisingly, the key word of PQMC's name is "quiet"; the four members, who play instruments including clarinet, electric guitar, violin, double bass and bass clarinet sound subdued and in control throughout, their performance more than justifying their commissioning of the pieces from Frey. A wise choice for both sides.

Tracks and Personnel

Penumbra

Tracks: Penumbra (2024):-I, II, III, IV.

Personnel: Morgan Evans-Weiler: violin & electronics; J.P.A. Falzone: prepared piano & cetesta. .

Longing Landscape

Tracks: The sound never has walls (2023-2024); Fleetingness (2024); Longing Landscape (2022/2023)

Personnel: Prague Quiet Music Collective:-Renata Rakova: clarinet (1-2); Ian Mikyska: electric guitar (1,3) viola da gamba (2); Milan Karnik Jakes: violin (1-3);; Luan Goncalves: double bass (1-3); Anna Paulova: bass clarinet (3); asamisimasa:-Morten Barrikmo: bass clarinet (2); Tanja Orning: cello (2); Anders Forisdal: electric guitar (2); Hakon Stene: percussion (2);