ECM: A Cultural Archeology Exhibition / Live Performances

[jkelman]

My coverage of the ECM: A Cultural Archeology Exhibition in München, Germany, going on until November 23, 2013, today at All About Jazz.

When the city's Haus der Kunst was given carte blanche by ECM label head Manfred Eicher, its co-curators - Okwui Enwezor and Markus Müller - put together an exhibition that, focusing on the label's first 15 years, reveals the depth and breadth of the label while being as spare and austere as the label itself.

In addition to the extensive exhibition and a marvelous new hardcover book to add to the slowly growing bibliography about the label, Haus der Kunst is hosting cinema nights, with films about, by or including material from ECM artists, as well as live performances - on this particular weekend, from singer Meredith Monk and pianist Alexei Lubimov.

Anyone in the München area should definitely plan to spend a few afternoons absorbing it all, though plenty can be taken in over the course of a single day. For fans of the label, there's never been anything like this. And for those who've subscribed to the many myths about the label, this exhibition goes a long way to dispelling them all.

Review here.

[HutchFan]

Nice article, John.

Would love to visit this exhibition, but I don't expect that I'll be in Munich anytime soon.

Your advocacy for ECM and Manfred Eicher reminds me of Stanley Dance's writings for and about Duke Ellington. I mean that as a high compliment. It's always nice to read articles written by authors who LOVE their subjects -- and know them inside-out.

[HutchFan]

One other thing:

You mention Alexei Lubimov in your piece. Have you heard his recording of Charles Ives' Second Piano Sonata, "Concord"? Good stuff. Lubimov definitely interprets Ives with a European "accent" (much like Pierre-Laurent Aimard) -- but I think Ives would have loved it. He didn't want anything nailed down interpretation-wise. I think that makes/made Ives a sort of proto-jazzman, wanting the interpreters to bring their own thing to his compositions.

Would love to hear what Lubimov does with Debussy. Will have to check out those recordings.

[jkelman]

Originally Posted by HutchFan

Nice article, John.

Would love to visit this exhibition, but I don't expect that I'll be in Munich anytime soon.

Your advocacy for ECM and Manfred Eicher reminds me of Stanley Dance's writings for and about Duke Ellington. I mean that as a high compliment. It's always nice to read articles written by authors who LOVE their subjects -- and know them inside-out.

Thanks - I appreciate that. I make no bones about connecting very deeply with ECM's overall aesthetic and artistic choices, so once we have that out of the way, the only thing that's left is do I write credibly about it? Well, with the help of a lot of people, and feedback from folks like yourself, I think I'm getting better doing just that, and the opportunities I've had to catch a lot of ECM artists and, in this case, attend the exhibition, have really been helpful to me in furthering the knowledge.

And if you can't go to the exhibition, I really do recommend picking the book up. It's tremendous.

Thanks again!

[jkelman]

Originally Posted by HutchFan

One other thing:

You mention Alexei Lubimov in your piece. Have you heard his recording of Charles Ives' Second Piano Sonata, "Concord"? Good stuff. Lubimov definitely interprets Ives with a European "accent" (much like Pierre-Laurent Aimard) -- but I think Ives would have loved it. He didn't want anything nailed down interpretation-wise. I think that makes/made Ives a sort of proto-jazzman, wanting the interpreters to bring their own thing to his compositions.

Would love to hear what Lubimov does with Debussy. Will have to check out those recordings.

I've got the Debussy Préludes recording on its way from Munich. No, have not heard the Ives - but I must....is that the one on Erato? I'll have to pick it up...

Best!
John

[HutchFan]

Originally Posted by jkelman

No, have not heard the Ives - but I must....is that the one on Erato? I'll have to pick it up...

It may have been originally released on Erato, but my version is the Warner Apex budget reissue. I think it's still available/in print.