Clarinet quartet Cl-4
The Clarinet Quartet Cl-4 was a German clarinet quartet that existed from 1985 to 1988. The group integrated elements of jazz, folklore and European concert music into their music without wanting to belong to the third stream .
| Clarinet quartet Cl-4 | |
|---|---|
 Lajos Dudas, one of the founders of Cl-4. |
|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | Modern creative |
| founding | 1984 |
| resolution | 1988 |
| Founding members | |
| Theo Jörgensmann | |
clarinet |
Lajos Dudas (until 1986) |
clarinet |
Dieter Kühr (until 1987) |
| Eckard Koltermann | |
| Temporary members | |
Clarinet, alto clarinet |
Gerald Doecke (1986–1987) |
clarinet |
Bob Driessen (1986) |
clarinet |
Regina Pastuszyk (1987–1988) |
Bass clarinet |
Denis Colin (1988) |
Origin and Music
After a meeting of the International Clarinet Society in London in 1984, where the clarinetists Jörgensmann and Kühr met their colleague Lajos Dudas, the idea of founding a clarinet quartet arose . Six months later, the fourth musician, the Wanne-Eickel bass clarinetist Eckard Koltermann, who had already worked with Jörgensmann in the German Clarinet Duo, joined the group. The music of the quartet, which changed the line-up several times over the years, embarked on new aesthetic and artistically autonomous paths.
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In this group, not only one instrument (clarinet), which was largely neglected in jazz at that time, was particularly emphasized, but above all the successful collaboration of musicians from different camps. Jörgensmann, Dudas and Koltermann came from jazz or free improvisation , while Dieter Kühr, as a classical musician, had little experience of improvisation . The rich possibilities of the clarinet were implemented in this group in many ways. In the music of Cl-4 one finds a variety of phrasing techniques, arranged and improvised counterpoint as well as layering of timbres over several octaves. The group achieved a successful synthesis of the apparently contradicting musical conceptions of classical music and improvisation.
This new musical conception was not only accepted without prejudice by the various camps ( jazz , classical ) at that time . This emerges from a letter from the Goethe Institute , which is published on the cover of the second LP "Strange is Phropheten Lied, doubly strange what happens" - a quote from Goethe. This letter states that the Goethe-Institut did not succeed in bringing the quartet's music closer to its partners in the various countries, despite an explicit recommendation from the program advisory board. The Cl-4 LP Old and New Ways was rated four stars by the US jazz magazine Downbeat .
Projects
In 1987 Cl-4 worked with the tent ensemble theater by Crescentia Dünßer and Otto Kukla in around 100 performances of the Figaro + Co production at various locations. At that time, the tent ensemble theater included a. the actors Ulrich Noethen and Alexander Lutz . The direction was directed by Robert Giggenbach together with the ensemble. The clarinet quartet played music by Mozart , Manfred Schulze and Eckard Koltermann in this production . The ensemble entered u. a. also a week as part of the Salzburg Festival . ORF television made a documentary about this event .
Discography
- Eckard Koltermann & Kollegas Umtriebe (AufRuhr Records, 1985)
- Cl-4 Old and New Ways ( Konnex Records , 1986)
- Cl-4 Strange Is Prophet's Song (Konnex Records, 1987)
- Lajos Dudas Music for Clarinet (Compilation, Pannon Classic, 1997)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Besides the two sterling John Carter's Clarinet Summit recordings, Cl 4 (Theo Jörgensmann, Lajos Dudas, Dieter Kühr, clarinets; Eckard Koltermann, bass clarinet; guest clarinetist Gerald Doecke) explores a variety of materials without "Third Stream" pretentions. Down Beat (April, 1987)
- ^ Cover text of the LP Old and New Ways .
- ↑ Jazzthetik No. 3/1987
- ^ Volksstimme Österreich , August 17, 1986
- ↑ Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 11/1986
- ↑ Kölner Stadtanzeiger July 10, 1986
- ↑ Jazz Podium 1/1987
- ↑ Record cover of the LP Strange is Phrophetenlied
- ^ Program booklet Figaro + Co