Epitaph May Doria Russell

The concept of “Der Wanderer” (the wanderer) had a lifelong fascination for Franz Schubert. The idea of an eternal journey towards happiness or a better life, albeit unattainable, was close to his romantic heart. The same may be said of Franz Liszt, who, mutatis mutandis, shared Schubert’s wanderings and quest for an ideal. No wonder that Liszt was one of the first to recognize Schubert’s genius, playing his works in his concerts and transcribing songs for piano solo.

Rockpalast was a WDR (Cologne) show produced between 1974 and 1986, and revived again in 1995. The show was originally produced by Peter Rüchel and directed by Christan Wagner, and was famous for staging gigs with the leading bands of the day. The three concerts preceding Epitaph's first Rockpalast appearance were with Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Leo Kottke, and Ry Cooder. Epitaph first hit the Rockpalast stage on February 2nd 1997, and were followed that year by artists like Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Chicago, Harry Chapin, Tom Waits, Tom Petty, Rory Gallagher, Little Feat and Roger McGuinn's Thunderbird. Although two of the founder members, Cliff Jackson and Jim McGillivray, were Brits, and the lyrics were English, Epitaph was definitely a German band. As such it was quite amazing that Epitaph made it onto what was in effect Germany's answer to The Old Grey Whistle Test…

This 2009 ECM disc containing the world premiere of Alfred Schnittke's Ninth Symphony, the composer's final work, will be mandatory listening for fans of post-modernist Russian music, or contemporary music in general. Begun after the premiere of Schnittke's Eighth Symphony in 1994 and unfinished at the composer's death in 1998, the Ninth existed only as three movements of manuscript (and indecipherable manuscript at that: a stroke had paralyzed Schnittke's right side, forcing him to write with his left hand) until composer Alexandr Raskatov deciphered the manuscript and conductor Dennis Russell Davies presented its premiere. As presented in this January 2008 recording, Schnittke's Ninth continues and extends the austere sound world of the Eighth into ever more severe zones. There's no denying this is the authentic voice of Schnittke: the etiolated textures, abrupt gestures, timeless tempos, and haunting themes have clear roots in the composer's preceding works. Davies and the excellent Dresdner Philharmonie appear acutely conscious that the Ninth was the composer's last work, but the tone of leave-taking is inherent in Schnittke's inward music.