Uri Caine Ensemble
Released August 15, 2000
DownBeat Five-Star Review
YouTube: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mtrgF0myt0NzpcfNI9yZFWLiAec-fhBUY
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4h4wkYV5ySdGIkyLs5kIdX?si=RZ8FQ52STcKj342XxETVoQ
About:
Mahler, Wagner, Schumann, Bach – Uri Caine’s approach to classical music is moving backwards in time. This year, which is the 250th anniversary of the death of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), he confronts one of the milestones of Western music – the Goldberg Variations. From Schönberg to Stravinsky, from The Nice to The New York Rock & Roll Ensemble, from The Swingle Singers to John Lewis, from Jacques Loussier to Wendy Carlos, Bach’s music has remained an inexhaustible source of inspiration throughout the 20th century. Works like The Well-Tempered Clavier, The Musical Offering or The Goldberg Variations have welcomed many different and multifaceted arrangements.
The traditional image of Bach as a serious, monumental, untouchable composer was first seriously challenged in 1955, when a young Canadian pianist recorded in New York a historic performance of the Goldberg Variations. Glenn Gould’s recording was a best-seller, an object of worship, and a real touchstone for many young people and modern music lovers. »The Goldberg is a piece which has been in my ears for a long time, since I first heard Glenn Gould playing this music«, Uri Caine says. He fell under the spell of this radical departure from a well-established performing tradition, which consciously avoided any sense of reverence for the traditional performance practice in that time.
That was, many years ago, the starting point for Caine’s new project. But this time his way of transforming the original is quite different from his own previous experiences in this field. If his Mahler, his Wagner or his Schumann were basically a highly personal transformations of the original music, his Bach moves in a different direction. The work’s proportions have been dramatically altered – a one-hour-piece has been expanded into a two-and-a-half-hours display of ingenuity and variety. The original 30 variations give way to no less than 70. There is still a lot by Bach, of course, but we can also enjoy Caine’s open-mindedness and, above all, his enormous gift for composing an ambitious structure on a large scale.
In Caine’s own words, »the Goldberg Variations are the symbol for Bach’s diversity«. Different national styles, several dance forms, nine canons at ever-increasing intervals, keyboard writing of increasing virtuosity and a humorous combination of two folk songs in the final variation – the original piece by Bach is actually a grand melting pot of different elements, a lifelong summary of personal achievements. Following the same creative philosophy, Caine has not hesitated to include dances, styles or musical references which are an integral part of the heritage of a knowledgeable musician at the end of the 20th century.
The original piece by Bach is entirely based on the opening Aria or, more precisely, on the 32-bar bass line supporting the melody. Any departure from this fundamental principle betrays the raison d’être of the piece, closely connected to other late Bach pieces (The Art of the Fugue, The Musical Offering), which are based on monothematism and aspire to represent a summing-up of an age-old tradition. In Caine’s version, embedded within the original variations are the variations which are written using different procedures. Some of them adhere very strictly to the theme. Others refer to music by Bach, for instance the chorales, Lutheran hymns, cello suites, a sort of chorale prelude for organ, or canons written at different intervals (and different time signatures!). Other variations explore new styles and use free improvisation as the basis, but the succession of chords, the basic harmonic structure (tonic – dominant – relative minor – tonic), remains there, clearly audible with or without a detailed analysis. There is always a logic in everything Caine does, it is never a matter of shocking for its own sake.
Another important category is made up of variations written in the style of composers like Vivaldi, Mozart, Verdi, Rachmaninov or Philip Glass. Many of them contain a strong humorous element, others are finely wrought hypotheses of what those composers might have written if they had been asked to write one variation. Bach felt free to include several dance forms, and Caine has felt free to include some of their modern counterparts: a mambo, a tango or a waltz. They are always based on the harmony of the original theme, but somehow they also serve as a spring-board for improvisation. Dances also become Caine’s way to explore music from different cultures. Together with his forays into varied jazz styles (gospel, ragtime, bebop, free jazz, a delightful remembrance of The Hot Six), the whole can be seen as a sort of musical biography of both Caine and our own century.
Diversity within unity – that is one of the main virtues of the original Goldberg, and that has been one of the main concerns of Uri Caine during the recording of the album. Every variation is equally important: it brings contrast, it is an essential part of the complete building, it gives an opportunity for new musicians to provide a fresh point of view.
Such an ambitious project has been possible thanks to a wonderful array of musicians, many of them familiar to Winter & Winter listeners. Apart from Uri Caine himself, who plays in most of the 70 variations, Ralph Alessi, Don Byron, Ralph Peterson, Drew Gress or Greg Osby, some of his usual partners in his jazz performances join him as well. The cellist Ernst Reijseger, the Baroque trumpet player Paul Plunkett, the violinist Annegret Siedel, the viola da gamba player Vittorio Ghielmi (playing alone and with the Quartetto Italiano di Viole da Gamba), the recorder player Cordula Breuer, the lutenist Michael Freimuth, the Kettwiger Bach Ensemble (singing all the choral pieces) are some of the musicians coming from the classical field. The vocalist David Moss, a unique improviser, and several DJs (Logic, Olive, Boomish) are also part of a long list of varied musicians in the project. And one important point is that both worlds – classical & jazz, a given text & improvisation, period instruments & electronics – merge in many variations. We can even hear a short improvisation by the members of the Quartetto Italiano di Viole da Gamba!
Recorded in Cologne (when the WDR and the Stiftung Kunst und Kultur des Landes NRW decided to support it, the project was given fresh impetus), New York, Ludwigsburg and the Villa Medici in Briosco (Uri Caine plays the Aria on a Silbermann piano, which was the first keyboard instrument known by Bach in which it was possible to introduce dynamic nuances in the performance), the album has been a true work in progress until it has reached its final version. One of its main appeals is that it will be virtually impossible to listen to the complete version in a live performance, not only because of the length itself, but also because it is hardly feasible to assemble so many different performers living all over the world and with tight professional schedules. That makes of the listening of this album a unique experience. As in Bach’s Goldberg, to remind the listeners that all that immense variety came from that simple thing we heard at the very beginning, Caine plays the Aria again, slightly modified, at the end, followed by a last, ghostly variation created by Danny Blume which can be sensed as a shimmering echo of the main harmonies of the theme, a shadow which remains after everything else has disappeared. We are then ready to begin our journey again – »In my beginning is my end […] In my end is my beginning«, T.S. Eliot wrote in East Coker, the second of his Four Quartets. Once all is over, The Caine Variations show the same capacity to ring in our heads once and again as the original Goldberg do.
Luís Gago
Track Listing:
Disc 1
1. Aria (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:48
2. Variation 1 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:03
3. Variation 2 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 0:51
4. The Introitus Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 3:40
5. The Dig It Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:20
6. Logic’s Invention (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 0:38
7. The Stuttering Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:29
8. Variation 3, Canon at the Unison (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:12
9. The Hot Six Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:43
10. Variation 5 [+ 8] (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:26
11. Rachmaninoff (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:52
12. The Dr. Jeckyl & Mr. Hyde Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 3:57
13. Vivaldi (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 0:50
14. Variation For Saxophone & Piano (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:47
15. Variation 4 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:07
16. The Waltz Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:01
17. The Carol Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:35
18. Variation 6, Canon at the 2nd (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 0:42
19. The Stomp Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:26
20. The Nobody Knows Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 3:50
21. Canon at the 3rd in ¾ (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:38
22. Variation 7, Gigue (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:20
23. Variation 9, Canon at the 3rd (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:41
24. Variation 10, Fughetta (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:35
25. Variation 11 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:57
26. Variation For Violin & Piano (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:11
27. Variation 12, Canon at the 4th (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:19
28. Variation 13 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:24
29. The Hallelujah Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:46
30. The Verdi Piano Duet Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:28
31. Luther’s Nightmare Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:17
32. Canon at the 6th in 6/4 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:43
33. The Jaybird Lounge Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:33
34. Variation 14 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 0:43
35. Variation 15, Canon at the 5th (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:05
36. The Contrapunto Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 4:25
37. Variation For Piano Solo No. 1 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 0:56
38. Canon at the 5th in 5/4 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:34
39. The Chorale Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:12
Disc 2
1. Variation 16 [Overture] (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:47
2. Don’s Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:32
3. Variation For Vinicius (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 4:57
4. Olive’s Remix (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 0:40
5. The “I Poem” Variation (Fughetta For 4 Voices) (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:43
6. Variation 17 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 0:59
7. Variation 18, Canon at the 6th (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:48
8. Mozart (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:28
9. Canon at the 7th in 7/4 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:40
10. The Minimal Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 3:28
11. The Tango Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:50
12. The Boxy Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 5:05
13. Variation 19 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:11
14. Variation 21, Canon at the 7th (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:22
15. The Wedding March Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:52
16. Variation 22 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:41
17. Variation For Gamba Quartet (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:59
18. Canon at the 4th in 4/4 3:12
19. Variation For Piano Solo No. 2 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 3:26
20. Variation on B-a-C-H (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:30
21. Variation For Cello Solo (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:34
22. Handel (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 0:34
23. Variation 23 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:00
24. Variation 25 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 5:22
25. Variation 26 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:01
26. Variation 29 (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:37
27. Variation 30 Quodlibet (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 0:50
28. Variation 30 Quodlibet/The Drinking Party (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:42
29. Logic’s Organ Prelude (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 0:48
30. Uri’s Organ Prelude (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 5:15
31. The Blessings Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 4:41
32. Aria (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 1:54
33. The Eternal Variation (Johann Sebastian Bach / Uri Caine / Barbara Walker) 2:43
Personnel:
Uri Caine: piano, harp-sichord, organ
Arno Jochem: gamba
Paul Plunkett: baroque trumpet
Annegret Siedel:
violin
Gregor Hübner: violin
David Moss: vocals
Dean Bowman: vocals
DJ Logic: turntables, electronics
Ralph Alessi: trumpet
Don Byron: clarinet
Ralph Peterson: drums
Josh Roseman: trombone
Bob Stewart: tuba
Michael Freimuth: lute
Greg Osby: alto sax
Barbara Walker: vocals
Reggie Washington: electric bass
James Genus: bass
Reid Anderson: bass
Todd Reynolds: violin
Cordula Breuer: alto recorder
Marco Bermudez: vocals
Milton Cardona: percussion
Vinicius Cantuária: vocals
DJ Olive: turntables, electronics
Sadiq Bey: poetry
Drew Gress: bass
Paulo Braga: drums
Jörg Reiter: accordion
Tracie Morris: poetry
Liz Alessi: bassoon
Ernst Reijseger: cello
Danny Blume, Chris Kelly: electronics
Quartetto Italiano di Viole da Gamba (Vittorio Ghielmi: viola basso
Rodney Prada: viola tenore; Paolo Biordi: viola soprano; Cristiano Contadin: viola basso) Köln String Quartet (Annegret Siedel: violin; Mary Utiger: violin;
Jane Oldham: viola; Arno Jochem: cello)
Boomish: Zach Danziger and Tim Lefebvre: electronics
Kettwiger Bach Ensemble: choir
Recorded in remembrance of 250th anniversary of the death of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Digital recording at:
Avatar Studios, New York City, NY, USA, October 1999;
WDR Studio 2, Köln, Germany, November 1999;
Boomish Studio, New York City, NY, USA, November 1999;
GoodandEvil Studio, Brooklyn, NY, USA, November 1999;
Skin Tone Riddles Studio, Brooklyn, NY, USA, November 1999;
Westrax Studio, New York City, NY, USA, November 1999;
Velour Studio, New York City, NY, USA, November 1999;
Loft Studio, Köln, Germany, December 1999;
Villa Medici-Giulini, Briosco, Italy, December 1999;
Bauer Studios, Ludwigsburg, Germany, December 1999 and January 2000
Review:
Pianist/composer Uri Caine has assembled a rather large aggregation of talent for this thoroughly audacious rendering of Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Goldberg Variations. And while Caine has tackled Mahler, Wagner and Schumann with much success, on this release, the pianist melds classical music with genre hopping, doses of humor and sprightly interludes that makes for one heck of an extravaganza.
A 2-CD set that expands the original 30 variations into 70 pieces, we must also be cognizant of the fact that Caine’s arrangements and compositions are primarily adaptations. Along with such notables as trumpeter Ralph Alessi, clarinetist Don Byron, bassist James Genus, vocalist David Moss, the Koln String Quartet and many others, Caine’s musical visions draw upon a vast array of styles that includes, spoken word, DJ Logic’s turntables, jazz, baroque, gospel and more. Disk 1, features pieces such as “The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Variation,” where the listener is treated to David Moss’ farcical vocals atop classical overtones whereas, clarinetist Greg Osby and Caine engage in a bit of free-jazz type dialogue on “Variation For Saxophone & Piano.” Yet the various ensembles also meld straight-ahead jazz with variations that feature Afro-Cuban rhythms and soulful blues.
Disk 2 commences with “Variation 16 Overture” which boasts a lovely theme thanks to Cordula Breuer’s luscious notes and sweet-tempered musings performed on alto recorder; however, David Moss’ playfully stout and largely indecipherable vocals might be characteristic of a grumpy old codger. Here, Moss could be poking a bit of fun at Bach or possibly your stereotypical frustrated-German classical composer. All in good fun I may add. With disk 2, you will also hear bassoon and trumpet duets, swing vamps, the great Ernst Reijseger performing a cello solo and just about anything else imaginable. Basically, one of the great attributes of this ambitious project is based upon Caine’s ability to inject humor and disparate elements into his writings and arrangements; although, there’s much more than meets the eye here as ideas abound with ceaseless invention and soulful articulation despite the semi austere implications. Perhaps the bottom line or desired effect of this project is contingent upon the relationships established between varying art forms and how all music is rooted and intertwined. Either way you view it, Caine’s The Goldberg Variations is a magnificent event for the aural senses Highly recommended.
Glenn Astarita (AllAboutJazz)
