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Track Listings
| 1. Blue Bicycle |
| 2. Morgenrot |
| 3. Rode Null |
| 4. Freibad |
| 5. Barfuss Durch Gras |
| 6. Heimat |
| 7. Nadelwald |
| 8. Schones Madchen |
| 9. Eltern |
| 10. Alma |
| 11. Neuschnee |
| 12. Weeks Of Rain |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Anyone who has heard and enjoyed the work of Harold Budd, Steve Reich, Michael Nyman or John Cage should find Ferndorf a fascinating listen . Cage is probably the most apt comparison as Dusseldorf-based pianist and composer Volker Bertelmann, who records as Hauschka has a similar avant garde approach to playing the piano as Cage , or rather did- He often modifies the piano in the middle of live concerts in order to provoke different sounds and textures from it and his last album utilised this "prepared piano" technique .
However for Fendorf ( named after a German village) he has gone back to piano basics but expanded the instrumentation with violin (by Sabine Baron), cello (by Insa Schirmer and Donja Djember), and trombone (by Bernhard Voelz). Elegant deceptively simple but pleasingly melodic piano themes are augmented by counterpoint strings which sometime drift into an extension of an existing melody or arrangement.
This is lovely elegant melodically compelling chamber music that over 12 tracks very rarely palls and in one or two instances is genuinely sonically compelling. "Rode Null" (named after a mountain near his parents home) is centred around a thrumming bass while perky strings pirouette over the top. Trumpet percolates through "Freibad" while "Barfuss Durch Gras" trickles electronic tics trills and plinks over a gradual emersion of sombre piano notes .Its as fascinating a piece of music as I have heard in a long time. "Eltern" incorporates phased electronics while "Heimat " has an instrument- woozily recorded- so it fades in and out of the mix that sounds slightly eastern but for which I have no real clue what it is. The sleeve notes don't help either.....anyway it's slightly bizarre( the track not the sleeve notes ) but massively engaging .
More of this and less of the simple piano/string combinations might have made Ferndorf into a truly extraordinary album . Mostly though Bertlemann goes for melodic simplicity-Schones Madchen" and the stately "Alma" are especially fine- but it's when the album is ingrained with textural depth that it really mesmerizes.
However for Fendorf ( named after a German village) he has gone back to piano basics but expanded the instrumentation with violin (by Sabine Baron), cello (by Insa Schirmer and Donja Djember), and trombone (by Bernhard Voelz). Elegant deceptively simple but pleasingly melodic piano themes are augmented by counterpoint strings which sometime drift into an extension of an existing melody or arrangement.
This is lovely elegant melodically compelling chamber music that over 12 tracks very rarely palls and in one or two instances is genuinely sonically compelling. "Rode Null" (named after a mountain near his parents home) is centred around a thrumming bass while perky strings pirouette over the top. Trumpet percolates through "Freibad" while "Barfuss Durch Gras" trickles electronic tics trills and plinks over a gradual emersion of sombre piano notes .Its as fascinating a piece of music as I have heard in a long time. "Eltern" incorporates phased electronics while "Heimat " has an instrument- woozily recorded- so it fades in and out of the mix that sounds slightly eastern but for which I have no real clue what it is. The sleeve notes don't help either.....anyway it's slightly bizarre( the track not the sleeve notes ) but massively engaging .
More of this and less of the simple piano/string combinations might have made Ferndorf into a truly extraordinary album . Mostly though Bertlemann goes for melodic simplicity-Schones Madchen" and the stately "Alma" are especially fine- but it's when the album is ingrained with textural depth that it really mesmerizes.
Format:Audio CD
A beautiful blend of piano and strings. He has a very unique way of playing and adjusting the piano to create a range of different sounds. Whilst it is somewhat experimental, overall, the album maintains a melodic and classical feel. Relaxing and beautiful, I would highly recommend.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Headphone Commute Review
2 Nov 2008
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
When I'm in the mood for classical piano and chamber music, I usually turn to a bottomless repertoire of Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Chopin, Stravinsky and Beethoven. For a more edgier, experimental, and contemporary feel, I queue up modern classical composers like Arvo Pärt, Phillip Glass, Nico Muhly and Max Richter. I'm definitely adding Hauschka to the latter list. I first discovered Volker Bertelmann upon the release of his sophomore album The Prepared Piano (Karaoke Kalk, 2005). It was an exploration into brutal modifications with adjusted hammers and padded strings that was more on avant-garde side (see John Cage's credited invention of the prepared piano), and made me listen closer for the adjustments in my favorite instrument. The fourth full length album from this Düsseldorf based pianist and composer explores every chamber instrument in its full capacity. On Ferndorf (translating into 'remote village' from German), Hauschka brings in two cellists, violinist and even a trombone player to construct modern classical pieces that are pleasant on the ear and the soul. Five out of twelve tracks appear to be "purely improvised", yet elicit strong musicianship from the participating players. Alluding to his birthplace in rural Germany, the trip along the memory lane, is an upbeat skip and hop. Here, Bertelmann revisits his childhood influences contributing to his decade long affair with the piano. Where most major-chord filled pieces usually fill me with a post-neo-classical dread of scale walking, Hauschka keeps restraint and tends to concentrate on execution and message of each individual piece. Of course, no such trip ever occurs without a touch of melancholy. Here, too, Hauschka excels in creating majestic and musical compositions, all whilst adding a touch of modern experimentation and exploration of live instruments, to let his composition rise just a notch above the rest. Deep respect to Bertelmann for extracting all percussive attributes from a beloved instrument while keeping it waltzing with joy. Grab this latest release from FatCat's sister label, 130701. Similar artist cloud includes Goldmund, Deaf Center, Sylvain Chauveau, Library Tapes, Peter Broderick, Marsen Jules, and of course Max Richter and Ryuuichi Sakamoto.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Good
27 Jun 2009
Format:Audio CD
A little let down but still a solid cd. experimental classical if you well. Eltern & Nadelwald are highlights. Violin & piano heavy...probably would have bought those 2 songs from iTunes in hindsight but overall still satisfied
a fantastic album
3 Dec 2011
Format:Audio CD
I cannot recommend this enough. If you are familiar with Hauschka then don't hesitate, jump right in and enjoy. If you are not familiar this is a great intro. Freibad is the all-star track on this album for me, but they are all great, they inspire story/landscape.
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