This is a compilation of songs and instrumentals from the previous LPs "Voyager" and "The Beginning of Hope". It was the first Friedemann CD. Through a review in a hi-fi magazine, I became aware of this record in the late '80s. It was, as far as I could remember, "the perfect," i. as a CD, which was to satisfy both highest recording and musically highest claims. As a "high-ender" I found this CD very convincing in terms of musicality, audibility and spatiality.
Beyond Twang-Twang. At all his concerts since 1998 and on the CDs »Passion and Pride« and »Short Stories« Friedemann had always had his fabulous Franco-German ensemble at his side, with Philippe Geiss, saxophone, Emmanuel Séjourné, vibraphone and marimba, Markus Faller, drums and percussion; and Kurt Eisfeld on keyboards. The real proof of the quality and originality of this team was provided in 2005 with the live DVD »The Concert«. So it is quite astounding that none of the gentlemen appeared here. What happened? Was there a row? Was the ensemble disbanded? What does »le chef« – as the French-speaking members of the group nickname him – have to say about it?
In the beginning there was the shattered sky. A window – slammed shut. The glass – broken. The view outside – obscured. Inside: destruction. The end. While scenes like these evoke some terrible drama, they are part of our lives. They occur in our individual biographies as well as in the world as a whole. Everywhere. All the time. Guitarist / composer Friedemann Witecka found an impressive account of sky-shattering on a national scale while reading »Stasiland« by the Australian writer Anna Funder. In this book, published 2003, he discovered the phrase: »pieces of a shattered sky«. The collaps of his own sky occurred in 2010. It was the end which marked the beginning of a new album entitled »Echoes Of A Shattered Sky«.
According to an old legend, the blue Beryll (aquamarine) comes from the treasure of a mermaid. Blue creates an atmosphere of tranquility. It is the colour of inspiration and infinity. Colour and Music are phenomena of vibration. The music on this album has been inspired by the magic of the aquamarine. It is a combination of hardness and translucence, gentleness and strength, serenity and depth. (Friedemann). Best audiophile CD of all times (AUDIO, 1997). The perfect recording (STEREOPLAY, 1990).
SACD review: When Friedemann was in the studio with his long term »sound master« Johannes Wohlleben mixing the audio for the DVD of the same title, the video was always running along with the sound track. This is standard practise to make sure that sound and picture are in sync and compatible. But there were certain moments when Friedemann shut his eyes. He wanted to »see the music« rather than the musicians.
Back in the 1970‘s Friedemann Witecka, who was born in Freiburg in south-western Germany, slung his guitar over his shoulder and set off for London, England in search of creative inspiration. The 1980‘s took him to Stuttgart where he made a name for himself as head of the Biber label and as a talent scout and producer, and above all with his own music: harmony-intensive and multicoloured instrumental works between the poles of folk, chamber music and jazz. With his impeccably beautiful sound sketches Friedemann swam persistently against the (pop) main stream and in doing so created original and high-quality accents on the German scene.
Once upon a time there was a young folk singer who left his home in a small town in Alemannia and set out into the world to seek his fortune.« That more or less is the beginning of the story of Friedemann, who eventually, in the mid-nineties, three decades later, returned to his home at the foot of the Black Forest. A lot has happened in that time. The young lad has turned into a cosmopolitan man in touch with his home roots, a guitarist and composer, father of two daughters, music publisher, producer, businessman and… storyteller.
It seems Friedemann Witecka has discovered the Old Religion (well, one of them, anyway) by dint of discovering the history of the Bel-Chen mountain region in the Southern Rhine area of Germany. He has chosen to celebrate this growth in his knowledge by composing an album's worth of "music for the ancient land of Belenos." This consists in the main of 45 minutes of feathery, sweet music built on contemporary instrumental forms (including some delightfully European stylistic touches).
On this compilation of award-winning studio recordings and passionate live performances, guitarist and composer Friedemann takes the listener through that magnificent musical scenery which he has cultivated so expertly over the last three decades. But on the way from the 1980s to 2008 there are also some previously unreleased tracks to be discovered.