From Analog Tape

Bittere Erde

Johannes Landgren

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Original Recording Format: Analog Tape
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Footprint’s re-mastering of recordings from Bo Hansson, co-founder of the legendary Swedish audiophile label Opus 3 continues with this collection of four impassioned works by the ‘Czech Messiaen’ Peter Eben, beginning with his impassioned and urgent masterpiece for choir and organ, Bittere Erde.

Eben’s score takes its lead from poetry by Jaroslav Seifert written as Czechoslovakia faced its darkest days at the start of World War II. The music converts patriotism into an expression of deep and resounding love for one’s home, communicated here in a railing but faultless performance from the choral forces of Musica Vocalis, who relish all the colour and poignancy of the Czech language under Johannes Landgren’s direction.

Landgren, Eben’s prophet in Sweden, moves to the organ bench for a thrilling performance of Eben’s song of protest for organ and trombone, Two Invocations (featuring Lars-Göran Carlsson) and the Due Preludi Festivi that explore the composer’s fascination with the hinterland between composition and improvisation. Per Karlsson joins Landgren for Eben’s Landscapes of Patmos. Though inspired by images of the apocalypse, these colourful canvasses for organ and percussion teem with dancing joy and dark foreboding in performances of extraordinary colour and vitality.

Per Sjösten’s re-mastering from Opus 3’s original Analog Master Tapes – which used the company’s trademark single Blumlein stereo microphone – are accompanied by extensive documentation including the 123 pages of Landgren’s thesis on Eben’s work and its interpretation. Footprint is proud to release this rediscovery of outstanding music caught in recordings of distinction.

Andrew Mellor

Tracklist

Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.
1.
Bittere Erde - Das Lied der Frauen und Manner
04:47
2.
Bittere Erde - Das Lied vom Heimatland
05:15
3.
Bittere Erde - Das Land der Armen
06:34
4.
Two Invocations - I
05:21
5.
Two Invocations - II
06:02
6.
Due preludi festivi - Festivo I
01:48
7.
Due preludi festivi - Festivo II
02:07
8.
Landscape of Patmos - Landscape with Eagle
03:38
9.
Landscape of Patmos - Landscape with the Eldest
04:03
10.
Landscape of Patmos - Landscape with Temple
06:31
11.
Landscape of Patmos - Landscape with Rainbow
02:52
12.
Landscape of Patmos - Landscape with Horses
07:15

Total time: 00:56:13

Additional information

Label

SKU

OP9301

Qualities

, , ,

Channels

Artists

Composers

Genres

Analog Recording Equipment

Telefunken M15 Analog Tape Recorder

Digital Converters

Horus, Merging Technologies

Mastering Engineer

Per Sjösten, Analog to DSD 256 Transfer

Mastering Room

Sound Processing Studio, Göteborg, Sweden

Instruments

, , ,

Original Recording Format

Producer

Bo Hansson

Recording Engineer

Bo Hansson

Recording Location

Recorded on October 7, 1992; March 21 and 22, 1994; and May 4, 1994

Recording Software

Pyramix, Merging Technologies

Recording Type & Bit Rate

Analog

Release DateMay 17, 2019

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