After 3 releases on the Navis Classics label (also available from NativeDSD), cellist Joachim Eijlander returns to NativeDSD Music with Dark Fire, his first album on TRPTK. Dark Fire is said to be “an encounter with the realms of other people’s experience, principally those of musicians. When two energies meet for the first time and are fully open to the experience, a new mirror image of themselves they have never seen before will arise.”
Eijlander says “Philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889–1976) described the encounter between the organized philosophical world of the ancient Greek and the mystical, abstruse world of the East as a dark fire. This would have caused the enlightenment in Greek poetry.
It’s unclear what Heidegger really thought about it, but I found the mental image of a dark fire lit by this chance meeting beautiful and highly inspiring. For Heidegger, this was mainly about the East and West. To me it’s about an encounter with the realms of other people’s experience, principally those of musicians. When two energies meet for the first time and are fully open to the experience, a new mirror image of themselves they have never seen before will arise.”
Joachim Eijlander – Cello
Kadir Sonuk – Duduk
Izhar Elias – Guitar
Helena Basilova – Piano
Vincent van Amsterdam – Accordion
Tracklist
Total time: 01:14:27
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | TTK0056 |
| Qualities | |
| Channels | |
| Artists | |
| Composers | |
| Genres | |
| Cables | Furutech |
| Digital Converters | Merging Technologies Hapi, Merging Technologies Anubis |
| Executive Producer | Gilles Stoop |
| Mastering Engineer | Brendon Heinst |
| Microphones | DPA, Sony |
| Notes | Find much more technical information in the booklet. |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Recording Engineer | Brendon Heinst |
| Recording location | Westvest90 Church Schiedam, The Netherlands |
| Recording Type & Bit Rate | DXD |
| Speakers | KEF |
| Release Date | December 11, 2020 |
Press reviews
NRC
After the opening piece, the Cellopartita by Ahmet Saygun, you may still have doubts. What kind of gruff, introverted music is this?
Joachim Eijlander, former cellist of the Rubens Quartet, is not a pleaser. Still, Dark Fire is a strong album. In terms of sound and style, there is a lot of variation and surprise, Eijlander’s tone is alternately tender and dangerously rough.
The title comes from the philosopher Heidegger, who used it to describe the meeting between Greek antiquity and the ‘mystical’ East. Eijlander previously recorded Bach’s cello suites. Now he opts for collaboration.
He accompanies duduk player Kadir Sonuk in traditionals, such as the enchanting Hiçliğe yolculuk (‘Journey to nothing’). With master guitarist Izhar Elias, Eijlander plays a wonderful lament by Gaspar Cassadó, whose dance Cello Suite is the best-known work on the album. Pianist Helena Basilova and accordionist Vincent van Amsterdam participate in compositions by Sulkhan Tsintsadze – melancholic, rattling, uplifting, folk-like and of course dark and firey.
Trouw
The Dutch cellist Joachim Eijlander dares to leave the beaten path of Bach. He has already proved that he can play Bach excellently. His new project is called “Dark Fire” and that title refers to a statement by philosopher Martin Heidegger. He described the meeting between the philosophical world of the ancient Greeks and that of the mystical East as “dark fire”. Eijlander ignites that dark fire on an album that – of course – travels to the East. On the cover Eijlander is depicted in mysterious light between Moorish-like pillars.
The album opens with low-roaring drones in a five-part Partita for solo cello by the Turkish composer Ahmed Adnan Saygun. His partita is an infectious piece, beautifully played with virtuosity. We are then in Azerbaijan for traditional music, which Eijlander performs with courage together with duduk player Kadir Sonuk. The cellist improvises beautifully along with Sonuk.
From the Spanish cellist and composer Gaspar Cassadó we hear a suite for cello solo, and two pieces that Eijlander plays with guitarist Izhar Elias. The Arab influence is clearly audible. Alternately with accordionist Vincent van Amsterdam and pianist Helena Basilova, ‘Five pieces on folk themes’ by the Georgian Sulkhan Tsintsadze will be played. Rich and varied repertoire beautifully brought together and beautifully performed.
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