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Date: | Thu, 11 Feb 1999 20:46:37 -0000 |
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GRAMOPHONE EDITORIAL REVIEW
MARCH 1999 EDITION
PHILIP SHEPPARD
'The Glass Cathedral'
Philip Sheppard (vc)
BLUE SNOW BSNCD1
Debut solo records usually default to one of two categories: 1.
Breathtaking but vacuous dislplays of virtuosity; 2. Gorgeous but
empty digital fantasies. You can guess at once that Philip Sheppard's
approach doesn't fit the first category - the booklet is almost too
reticent about the performer's name - and suspicions of the second
category fade quickly. Yes, it uses overdubbing; yes it features a
new digital and acoustic five string cello. But the pieces use
state-of-the-art technology without being overwhelmed by it. In any
case, Sheppard restricted himself to the sounds made on the instrument,
as opposed to using it as a MIDI controller.
Maybe the programmatic nature of the venture also helps Sheppard to
avoid conventional pitfalls. 'Harrison's Chronometer' is a soundscape
of a voyage to Lisbon; The Glass cathedral depicts 'an impossible
space' and sent me back to my LP collection to compare Bryars's
'Sinking of the Titanic' on Obscure. Like that piece, 'The Glass
Cathedral' always avoids narcosis, whilst dealing with drones and
generally slow changes (except once or twice when Sheppard dumps a
huge string section right in your lap after a lull). He's very
committed to improvisation, but I'm not sure how much it could figure
in a piece involving 44 cello overdubs. Whatever the case, it works
beautifully.
'Harrison's Chronometer' uses a wider vocabulary, drawing on creaks
and what sounds like whalesong. It's gripping music - much more than
a soundtrack for an imaginary movie - and it reclaims for string
players those long drones and chords that 'ambient' musicians couldn't
function without.
Because the disc is, in effect, an EP it's not going to seriously
dent most punter's budgets. BLUE SNOW is a new independent label
run in true improvised music fashion by Sheppard himself. If all
the releases are up to this standard, Sheppard (glimpsed recently
with The Smith Quartet, Pulp and Terry Riley) has nothing to worry
about.
STEVE BERESFORD
"Philip Sheppard" <[log in to unmask]>
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