Pedro Soler - Barlande '2011

Tracks list

The father and son team of Pedro Soler (guitar) and Gaspar Claus (cello) have
released an extraordinary new album of improvised music, Barlande, which reaches
both back and forth in time and crosses several boundaries: spontaneous,
romantic and emotional, this album is a soul-stirring record of the
sophisticated conversations possible through intimacy and virtuosity. The album
is stunning in its capacity to open new geographies and new musical territories
in the mind of the listener. 

Barlande is an extraordinary record on many levels, but one of its most
fascinating aspects is that it is the meeting of a father, one of the most
revered flamenco guitarists alive today, and his son, a cellist who has for most
of his career favoured experimenting with other musicians rather than following
a formal classical path. The project came out of the first InFiné Summer
Workshop, a week-long residency curated by the label in a disused quarry near
Poitiers, France, during which a host of artists, from the label as well as
guests, are invited to create music on site and perform live each evening, and
is released just on time to coincide with this year’s edition. 

The flamenco guitar and cello are both very dramatic instruments, the former
usually being played in a mixture of extremely flamboyant and delicate styles,
while the sombre, earthy tones of the latter often conjure a deep sense of
melancholy. Here, father and son create a wonderful soundtrack, rich in emotions
and contrasts. In turn answering each other or building up toward a common
ground, the pair weave intricate motifs into stunning melodies, and use their
instruments as much in their musical capacities as for textural effect. The
sound of a lightly brushed guitar string, of a hand on polished wood or of a bow
sliding on strings can take as much importance in their tracks as chords or
melodies, adding to the organic nature of the music. 

While the work began in France, the album was recorded in Brooklyn, where the
father and son soon ditched the early demos they had brought with them to focus
on improvisations. The eight pieces presented here are all equally exquisite. At
times, the restraint is such that it seems that the slightest distraction could
throw the whole thing off path, as on Caminos for instance, where Soler and
Claus establish such a fine balance between melancholy and melodrama, their
interplay so tight as tension slowly builds up. Caballitos De Mar (Alegria) also
displays some extremely refined moments half way through as the pair retreat
from the more flamboyant first and last sections to reveal a more peaceful and
contemplative performance, while, on Sueños Indecisos, Soler build up an
extremely subtle motif over strident distortions, deep hums and wood rubs on the
cello. 

Elsewhere though, they opt for more sobering moods as the sombre tone of the
cello draws autumnal undertones, echoed by the guitar played in the lower
register. On the title track, this cohesive approach is gripping, with circling
motifs continuously ebbing and flowing, contributing greatly to the poignancy of
the piece. Later on, Rostro Descolorido (Saeta) reaches an entirely different
level of minimalism, and here, it is Claus who contributes the bulk of the
melodic part of the piece while Soler controls the pace with dry strums. 

On concluding piece Encuentro En Brooklyn (Minera), the pair are joined by long
term friend and guitarist with The National Bryce Dessner on electric guitar and
Sufjan Stevens on harmonium. Following on from the desolate Rostro Descolorido,
there is a feeling of opulence here, the harmonium especially bringing fresh
tones to this record. As harmonium and cello combine to provide a backdrop for
Soler, Dessner adds extremely brief and discreet sparkling touches to the piece.


The intricacies of the music and the complexity of the performance
doesn’t at any point undermine the emotional scope of this record. There
is an impressive level of cohesion between Pedro Soler and Gaspar Claus which
goes beyond their affiliation. While Barlande is the meeting of a father and his
son, it is above all the meeting of two musicians with very different outlooks
who meet on a level beyond their respective work. (By themilkman,
www.themilkfactory.co.uk) 

Pedro Soler, guitar & guitarra flamenca
Gaspar Claus, cello 

Produced and recorded by Bryce Dessner
Recorded at The National studio, Brooklyn, NYC 
Mixed at Clinton Recording studios, NYC 
Mastered at Globe Audio (France) 

Tracklist:
6:06 | 01. Pedro Soler, Gaspar Claus - Insomnio Mineral (Rondeña)
3:32 | 02. Pedro Soler, Gaspar Claus - Guajira Borrachita (Guajira)
7:21 | 03. Pedro Soler, Gaspar Claus - Barlande (Seguiriya)
2:53 | 04. Pedro Soler, Gaspar Claus - Caminos
4:43 | 05. Pedro Soler, Gaspar Claus - Caballitos De Mar (Alegria)
7:44 | 06. Pedro Soler, Gaspar Claus - Sueños Indecisos (Tientos)
3:58 | 07. Pedro Soler, Gaspar Claus - Rostro Descolorido (Saeta)
9:22 | 08. Pedro Soler, Gaspar Claus, Bryce Dessner & Sufjan Stevens - Encuentro
En Brooklyn (Minera) [feat. Bryce Dessner & Sufjan Stevens]

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