Hearing the three dramatic chords that open the Zauberharfe overture played by this excellent Swiss orchestra (the oldest in Switzerland) I was immediately struck by the clarity of attack and rich instrumental color. As the performance progresses the Musikkollegium Winterthur exhibits an alluring full-bodied tone and characterful playing completely in the Schubertian style. The same goes for the pensive B minor Entr’acte, the lovely Entr’acte 3, and the charming No. 9 Ballet.
Alleingang (Going it Alone), Markus Becker’s second solo album is released by BERTHOLD records on October 29th 2021. In his own inimitable style, the renowned concert pianist has created a jazz and classical music mosaic. In his first solo album Freistil (Free Style) he developed structures out of largely spontaneous improvisations. “In Alleingang,” explains Becker “I most often thought out structures and themes first, and then created the music live in the Sendesaal, Radio Bremen’s concert hall, where as always they did such a great job. That suits my own ‘Alleinstellungsmerkmal’ which is a lovely German word for ‘unique selling point’.”
Inanna’s Dream is a multi-instrumental ambient sonic odyssey of pure emotion and enchantment. Through the six electroacoustic offerings, feelings of yearning, vulnerability and epiphany are infused into a heart and soul stirring expression that accesses the collective well of human experience. The alchemical blend of archaic and contemporary musical techniques and instruments, including the voice, activate a powerful opening into sacred space.
It's not surprising that Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker's debut solo album sounds like a Steely Dan record. What is a little surprising, though, is that, in his lead singing debut, he sounds so much like his erstwhile partner, Donald Fagen. Not that you'd mistake the two (Fagen projects more and is slightly grittier), but they sing in the same register with the same sly phrasing and the same accent. Other differences from the Dan are equally subtle: Becker adopts a sparer musical approach, for one thing, the missing element being the prominence of Fagen's keyboards (although Fagen does play on the record and co-produced it). Nothing gets in the way of Becker's voice, and he proves to be a less ornate lyricist than Fagen, restricting himself largely to tales of romantic dislocation. On the whole, this album sounds like what you'd expect – one half of Steely Dan.