Cinémagique / Cinemagique

Pago Libre clearly creates a new world on this collection of 15 soundtracks for an imaginary cinema, filled with fluid sequences, movements, narrative improvisation, colors, and folk songs that parallel the cinema's magic. Cinemagique, the group's debut for the TCB record label, is a remarkable experience that features highly acclaimed performances (in a variety of formats) by John Wolf Brennan on piano, arcopiano, and vocals; Arkady Skilkloper on flügelhorn and alphorn; Tscho Theissing on violin; and Daniele Patumi on double bass. The experience of making this record has clearly opened a new way of thinking for Brennan and the members of Pago Libre, since they are thinking, creating, and performing in a cinematic vernacular with such imaginative songs as "Ext: Transylvanian Harbour. Night," "Synopsis" (Brennan's description of a "miscounted waltz"), and "Int: A Compartment in a Transylvanian Railroad Train. Night." Among other film concepts that Pago Libre fuses into a brilliant collage of cinematic imagery is "Suonatina," a stylistic composition that crosses the divide between jazz and classical music. Brennan wrote four originals for this program, and takes a paintbrush to "Enticing," embellishing it with arpeggios and flourishes, excellent horn voicings, and string sections. Theissing's violin solo is colored with Brennan's piano perceptions and reflections, concluding with a note-for-note coda. "Nostalghia," composed by the collective, is a poetic, dreamy, and sorrowful piece based on the main character in Nostalghia, Andrei Tarkovsky's 1983 film, who yearns for the unity of Russia and Italy (on this song, Pago Libre applies the sentiment to Ireland and Moldavia). The mournful alphorn of Shilkloper and Brennan's arco piano add remarkable depth to this composition, developing its aural experience and unifying the work with varied musical registers and sonic exploration. "Folk Song," which also appears on the Wake Up Call CD, is played with great drive and undoubted originality. (Theissing switches to the fiddle and lives up to his reputation as a string virtuoso.) Pago Libre excels on this montage for an imaginary cinema through pristine improvisations and individual experiences, displaying both intuitive and technical virtuosity. Together, these musicians' daring avant-garde work, mixing composition and free improvisation, continues to make Pago Libre one of the most exciting ensembles on the creative music scene.