The Austrian label Kairos is doing a terrific job of making available new works on the cutting edge of the avant-garde that seem to have real substance, and may well have the staying power to become classics in the tradition of experimentalism. Their recordings (frequently with the outstanding ensemble
Klangforum Wein) of works by
Claude Vivier,
Gérard Grisey,
Olga Neuwirth,
Luigi Nono,
Beat Furrer, and
Bernhard Lang certainly fall into that category. The release of five chamber works by
Bernhard Gander (born 1969) doesn't as immediately scream out that this is music of enduring significance, but time will tell. The disc should certainly be of strong interest to fans of the avant-garde eager to keep up with hot trends on the European scene. The word Bunny is not a term one generally associates with the rigors of the avant-garde; Bunny Games' 15 short movements are based on a string of freely associated concepts, " … madonna parting alcohol nearness crying 90-63-92 …" as well as "porno," "playboy," and "the unspeakable rabbits with long ears," so in the composer's mind, the title is related to the musical content, but nothing in the piece would make listeners aware of any such connections. The program notes accurately describe
Gander's compositional materials as "completely rough-hewn and are roughly set in motion like bizarre uncouth found objects, pulsating with repetitive gestures, frayed ribbons of sound and interspersed with tumultuous solo passages." That quote, and the assertion that he eschews "subtlety of artistic articulation," pretty well sums up the effect of his music, which sounds raucous, baffling, and unpremeditated. One work, Peter Parker, for piano, is a meditation on the character of Spiderman, stands out from the rest; it sounds chaotic, but it's easier to detect an intentionality undergirding it, even something like a discernible structure, and it has a loose-limbed playfulness that makes it very attractive.
Klangforum Wein, conducted in the various selections by
Emilio Pomárico,
Johannes Kalitzke, and
Sylvain Cambreling, plays with complete conviction and assurance. Kairos' sound is clean and lively.