{"id":35462,"date":"2015-02-12T02:19:50","date_gmt":"2015-02-12T00:19:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/modisti.tk\/15\/?p=35462"},"modified":"2015-12-31T16:48:29","modified_gmt":"2015-12-31T14:48:29","slug":"stephan-mathieu-nachtstucke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modisti.com\/15\/stephan-mathieu-nachtstucke\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephan Mathieu . Nachtst\u00fccke"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Stephan<\/a><\/p>\n

Ah, the pleasures and dangers of translation. The most literal rendering in English of \u201cNachtst\u00fccke\u201d, the title of Stephan Mathieu\u2019s new album for his own imprint Schwebung, would be \u201cNight Pieces\u201d; that adjective \u201cnight\u201d immediately conjures up impressions for native English speakers of something dark, sinister, and\/or life-threatening. However, it might be more appropriate in this case to consider the German term \u2018Nachtmusik\u2019 and its English equivalent \u2018serenade\u2019, used to denote calm, light evening music (the latter word coming from the same Latin root as \u2018serene\u2019). Think of Mozart\u2019s \u201cEine kleine Nachtmusik\u201d, possibly one of the most irritatingly cheerful compositions in the history of the Western tonal tradition. Mathieu\u2019s new work is far from irritating, but for the most part it\u2019s definitely closer to a serenade in mood than to a dirge.<\/p>\n

I write \u201cfor the most part\u201d, because an album over four hours in duration inevitably ends up covering quite a lot of ground. The first three tracks, which together make up almost half the running length, supply a luminous ambience that holds the attention without gripping it, glowing like hot coals. Every shifting harmonic construct feels precisely shaped and refined, yet sensuous and warm to the touch; Federico Durand\u2019s contributed melodies on \u201cThird Dream\u201d are particularly charming. On the final track (which, if you\u2019ve done the maths, you\u2019ll know is over two hours long) the tone shifts to darker, hazier hues, but this is possibly just an effect of its lower pitch and volume; at any rate it\u2019s still a far cry from some of Mathieu\u2019s more harrowing work, yet somehow also more substantial, less fleeting and ghost-like.<\/p>\n

A decent sound system with at least some low-frequency credentials is perhaps required to get the most out of \u201cNachtst\u00fccke\u201c\u2018s subtle nuances \u2014 this isn\u2019t really music well-suited to laptop speakers. Provided such a system is on hand, then at the recommended low volume the rewards are soothing, pleasant, and gently awareness-shifting. Music like this seems to go beyond providing the soundtrack to a calm, relaxing evening in; rather, it forges eveningness as a tangible, sensible thing, pouring from the speakers like an invisible liquid. The black-and-white artwork by Caro Mikalef itself glows darkly yet serenely. Ultimately, \u201cNachtst\u00fccke\u201d does what it says on the tin \u2014 at least if you follow a particular way of translating it.<\/p>\n

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