The Squid's Ear Magazine


String Theory: Heptaphonies (Creative Sources)

Drawing its name from the seven members making up this string ensemble led by violist Ernesto Rodrigues, String Theory complements the concurrent Lisbon String Trio albums by magnifying concepts in freely improvised string interactions, using unusual harmonics, melodic and percussive approaches to instruments, and quickly moving quietly intense interaction.
 

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Personnel:



Maria do Mar-violin

Thea Farhadian-violin

Ernesto Rodrigues-viola

Guilherme Rodrigues-cello

Miguel Mira-cello

Alvaro Rosso-double bass

Hugo Antunes-double bass


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UPC: 5609063404555

Label: Creative Sources
Catalog ID: cs455
Squidco Product Code: 24749

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2017
Country: Portugal
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded live at O'Culto da Ajuda, Lisbon, Portugal, on January 20th, 2017, by Miguel Azguime.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Improvising string ensemble albums from Ernesto Rodrigues continue to appear at a dizzying pace. Before embarking on a more extended discussion of the series of six (so far) albums that he recently released under the banner of the "Lisbon String Trio," I want to note the newest issue in the "String Theory" series (that apparently began with Gravity, by a 17-member ensemble), Heptaphonies: The latter was actually recorded, also in Lisbon, this past January, i.e. a month prior to the previous issue, Xenon (discussed here in May).

In this case, as the title implies, there are seven performers - making it something of an exploration of geometry in a sense not unlike that invoked elsewhere by Five - and the odd one out happens to be Ernesto himself on viola. He's joined by two each of violin, cello & bass: Maria do Mar & Thea Farhadian, Guilherme Rodrigues & Miguel Mira, and Álvaro Rosso & Hugo Antunes. The violinists have appeared on several albums on Creative Sources, and of course the cellists are two of Rodrigues's most frequent collaborators (Mira more recently), but the bassists are relatively new: Rosso had only appeared previously on the large ensemble album Quasar, such that Heptaphonies now seems to herald his role as part of the Lisbon String Trio (whose first album, Proletariat, was recorded later, in March, but released a few weeks earlier), and Antunes not at all (that I could find), although he has been featured on e.g. Clean Feed.

As I had noted for Xenon, which is by a violin family trio plus classical guitar, the album "includes a wider range of timbres & dynamics, mixing bowing & plucking into various sorts of string resonances, from harmonics to deep rumblings." Particularly with the larger ensemble (septet), albeit all violin-family instruments here, one might also compare to e.g. the quintet Blattwerk (as discussed here last month), although that album does come off as more of a collage than the open synthesis here (& on Xenon, for that matter) - plus it includes a percussionist (to excellent effect, I should reiterate).

The five tracks are generally short, and Heptaphonies is fairly short overall, often revolving around some sort of discursive figures, or classically-derived technical gestures, that might intensify or shift quickly into something else. Indeed, it opens rather powerfully, but doesn't necessarily sustain that through a variety of (often very fast) reconfigurations: Not only harmonics & deep rumblings, but percussive blips, hocketing, etc. litter the air as these musicians generally move quickly, yet sometimes chain figures together into quasi-diffuse arcs where a strained continuity becomes key. The music might be said to explore different forms of weak (in the sense that it's also tending to break apart), spontaneous continuity. (One might wonder if the frequent return to twentieth century "classical" string figures, amid the non-idiomatic explorations, reflects the mechanics of the instruments themselves. It's unlikely these musicians remain in standard tunings, however; that's not the norm for e.g. Mira.)

It's difficult to treat such a volume of albums from Rodrigues individually sometimes - although obviously I'm quite taken with various elements of his approach - and so this release feels a bit like a step along the way, although that might only describe its place in my own musical life. (Indeed, I don't even know what defines this "String Theory" series, yet I continue to listen.) There is still much to enjoy & ponder, however, in the sound world of partial becomings on Heptaphonies. Rodrigues & his colleagues continue to forge new styles."-Todd McComb's Jazz Thoughts


Get additional information at Todd McComb's Jazz Thoughts

Artist Biographies

"Maria do Mar, violinist born in Lisbon, has a path marked by classical music and teaching, although she has always collaborated with artists from other musical areas. Since 2012, following her participation in the "Atelier de Improvisation et Direction de Ensemble in real-time (Conduction)" directed by Butch Morris, she began to explore free improvisation and other languages ​​in the contemporary music scene, taking part in a violin and Electric bass duo with the musician and composer Ricardo A. Freitas.She has developed improvisational work with various musicians, performing in concerts, cycles and festivals, with names like Carlos "Zingaro",., Joana Guerra, Ricardo Jacinto, Christophe Berthet, Maria Radich. In the context of the Moving Theater she participated in the Suzuki workshop / Viewpoints by Lowri Jenkins and Jane Pupo. She is seeking a broader musical universe and the development of a personal language, where the musical boundaries are fading and new possibilities opens up with no creative limits."

-Zaratan (Translated by Google) (http://www.zaratan.pt/en/event/74)
1/27/2025

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"Thea Farhadian is a performer/composer based in San Francisco Bay Area and Berlin. Her projects include solo violin and interactive electronics, acoustic improvisation, solo laptop, radio art, and video. Her solo pieces for violin and electronics combine a classical music background with extended technique and digital processing using the program Max/MSP.

Her work has been seen internationally at venues which include the Issue Project Room, and Alternative Museum New York City, Galerie Mario Mazolli, Sowieso, and Quiet Cue in Berlin, the Room Series, and Meridian Gallery in San Francisco, the Center for Experimental Art and the Aram Kachaturyan Museum in Yerevan, Armenia, International Women's Electroacoustic Listening Room Project at Bimhaus in Amsterdam. .

Thea is a former member of the Berkeley Symphony orchestra where she played under Kent Nagano for ten years. She has an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Arts from San Francisco State and an M.F.A. in Electronic Music from Mills College.

In 2009, she was a lecturer in the Art Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz."

-Thea Farhadian Website (http://www.theafarhadian.com/biography.html)
1/27/2025

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"He has been playing the violin for 30 years and in that time has played all genres of music ranging from contemporary music to free jazz and improvised music, live and in the studio.

His main interest shifted towards contemporary improvised and composed music.

The relationship with his instruments is focused in sonic and textural elements.

Electronic music was an early influence on his approach to violin playing, which challenges traditional romantic concepts of the violin/viola through use of preparations and micro tuning.

Active in different settings on the Portuguese scene for free improvised music, both as a collaborator and in leading his own groups.

Music for Dance, Cinema, Video and Performance.

Has created the record label Creative Sources Recordings in 1999, which mainly concentrates on releasing experimental and electro-acoustic music."

-Creative Sources (http://creativesourcesrec.com/creative_artists.html)
1/27/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Was born 1988 in Lisboa, Portugal and started playing cello and trumpet at Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa at the age of 7. In 1999 joined Conservatório Nacional de Música de Lisboa to study classical and music theory and in the current year recorded his first album - Multiples - with Ernesto Rodrigues and José Oliveira out on Creative Sources Recordings.

Apart from work in music ensembles ranging for contemporary classical to free improvisation, also works with live music poetry, theatre and film-music. After lengthy residency in Lisboa, (1988-2016) moved to Berlin and has been active as composer and improviser in the scene.

Worked with some international and renewed artists like Ernesto Rodrigues, Jean-luc Guionnet, Margarida Garcia, Manuel Mota, Alfredo Costa Monteiro, Sei Miguel, Tim Goldie, Jeffrey Morgan, Oren Marshall, Gerhard Uebele, Klaus Kurvers, Gabriel Paiuk, Nicolas Field, Jaime Fennelly, Blaise Siwula, Will Guthrie, Pawel Grabowski, Michael Thieke, Wade Matthews, Leonel Kaplan, Diego Chamy, Gabriel Paiuk, Barry Weisblat, Joe Giardullo, Jassem Hindi, Tisha Mukarji, Masahiko Okura, Taku Unami, Toshihiro Koike, Sharif Sehnaoui, Christine Abdelnour, Alexandre Bellenger, Carlos Zingaro, Romaric Sobac, Nuno Rebelo, Nuno Torres, Naoto Yamagashi, Heddy Boubaker, Gerhard Uebele, Guillermo Torres, Tomas Gris, Carlos Santos, Bruno Parrinha, Miguel Leiria Pereira, Miguel Ivo Cruz, Alberto Cirera, Nuno Morão, Mark Sanders, Dennis Gonzaléz, Alípio Carvalho Neto, Raymond Macdonald, Neil Davidson, David Stachenas, Lisa Ullén, D'incise, Cyril Bondy, Miguel Mira, Rodrigo Amado, Abdul Moimême, Monsieur Trinité, João Madeira, Álvaro Rosso, Gil Gonçalves, Marian Yanchyk, Filipe Passos, Rodrigo Pinheiro, Christian Wolfarth, Thanos Chrysakis, Bechir Saade, Kurt Liedwart, Miguel A. Garcia, Ilia Belorukov, Andrew Lafkas, Gao Jiafeng, Eric Wong, Johan Moir, Casey Moir, Magda Mayas, Matthias Muller, Alexander Frangenheim ...

Has performed and toured in all Europe. Released more than 30 albums of his own projects."

-Creative Sources (http://creativesourcesrec.com/creative_artists.html)
1/27/2025

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"Born in 1958, studying guitar at the Academy of Music Amateurs, in the 70s, with Prof. Nagy. In the late 70 studying bass at the Hot Club, in the early '80s, with Prof. Zé Eduardo.

"Intrigue and permanent and persistent unease with stringed instruments, jazz and improvisation itself. During the last forty years, in concert, in private or in the studio, I had the honor of having played and learned (chronologically) Nuno Grande, Armindo Neves, Emilio Robalo, Celso Carvalho, António Ferro, Arthur Costa, Ze Bitch John Vinegar, John Lucas, Francisco Medina, Abdul moimeme, Rashiim Ausar Sahu, Patrick Brennan, Rodrigo Amado, Scott Fields, Francisco Trindade, Ernesto Rodrigues, Harvey Sorgen and Joe Giardullo.

Today, honor me play (and perpetuate my restlessness) with Rodrigo Amado, Abdul moimeme, John Lucas, Joseph Bruno Parrinha, John Parrinha, João Pedro Viegas, Alipio Carvalho Neto, Gabriel Ferrandini, Ernesto Rodrigues, Armando Gonçalves Pereira, Hernani Faustino, Rodrigo Pinheiro, Zé Lencastre, Louis Desirat, Peter Castello Lopes, Luís Lopes, Luís Vicente, Philip Sousa, Pedro Roxo, Johannes Krieger, George Lamprey, Marcello Maggi, Paulo Curado, Diogo Leal, D' Incise, Virginia and Eduardo Chagas. With some of my friends. I share my musical day in broader bands or ensembles, with other I highlight specific musical encounters and they are my entire curriculum." "

-JACC Records (http://www.jacc-records.com/en/musicians/miguel-mira)
1/27/2025

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Alvaro Rosso is a Portuguese double bassist, a member of Variable Geometry Orchestra, ZMVR 4tet, Orgonite, Croniques 3, and String Theory.

-Squidco 1/27/2025

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"Hugo Antunes was born in 1974 in Portugal. In 2011 released "The future of the past" VELKRO album on Pling records. In 2010 released "Roll Call", for Clean Feed records. In 2009 was awarded with an INOV ART scholarship (Did a research over improvised music in Brussels Belgium.); In 2009 enrolled as a bachelor student in the Royal Belgium Conservatory in Brussels, studying with Christophe Walleme; In 2008 during the Coimbra Jazz Festival, he was invited to participate in Jazz Orchestra Workshop conducted and oriented by the alto saxophone player Michael Attias, which ended with a live performance in the Festival; In 2006 attended a Berklee summer workshop, in Perugia, Italy, oriented by Dave Clark; In 2005 enrolled as a full-time bachelor student in the Amsterdam's Conservatorium of Music. His major was Double Bass Jazz with Prof. Franz Van der Hooven; In 2004, during the Coimbra Jazz Festival, was invited to participate in Jazz Orchestra Workshop conducted and oriented by the double bass player Adam Lane, which ended with a live performance in the Festival; In 2003, during the Estoril Jazz Festival, attended a workshop with Rufus Reid; In 2002 attended a Jazz workshop taking place in Valencia, Spain, with Mário Rossy; In 2000(/2002) initiated his musical and double bass studies at "Luís Villas Boas" (Hot Club) in Lisbon.

Bands and musicians he worked with: Gerry Smullian USA; Michael Attias (USA); Nate Wooley (USA); Alexandra Samsonova Trio and Quartet with Jesus Santandreu; Carlo Magni Trio; Michel Charenc (France); Benny Lackner Trio with Mathieu Chazarenc; Carlos Carli Trio with German Kucich; Harmonics player Olivier Ker Orio; Phil Abraham (Belgium); Albert Bover (Spain); Christian Brewer (England); Quentin Collins (England); Michel Joussin (France); Loopless; VELKRO; Alexi Tuomarila (Finland); Robin Verheyen (Belgium); Winchovski (Belgium). Music and performence with: Nastio Mosquito, Trienal S. Paulo (Brasil), "Africalls", Casa de África, Spain, Las Palmas in 2008; "Evento", Bordeaux, France in 2009; Nastio e Kalaf, "Festival Mistura" 2008, at S. Luiz, Lisbon. "VOUS", International collective on improvised music, tap-toe, poetry, video. Lisbon, Portugal 2008, Apt, France 2009; "Deus.Pátria.Revolução.", play by Luis Bragança Gil e Luisa Costa Gomes, at CCB in Lisbon , Portugal 2008; S. João do Porto, Porto, Portugal 2009. Music and improvised dance: Ana Borges, Portugal; Luis Marrafa, Portugal/Belgium.

Taught Double bass at Escola das Artes de Sines, and others, in Portugal. Workshops over Improvised music in Portugal and Norway.

-Jazz In Belgium Website (http://www.jazzinbelgium.com/person/hugo.antunes)
1/27/2025

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Track Listing:



1. Heptaphonies I 4:37

2. Heptaphonies II 5:44

3. Heptaphonies III 8:47

4. Heptaphonies IV 8:02

5. Heptaphonies V 6:26

Related Categories of Interest:


Creative Sources
Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
Septet recordings
Stringed Instruments

Search for other titles on the label:
Creative Sources.


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