Customer Reviews

Rosensfole

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jan Garbarek has long been everybody's favorite Norwegian jazz alto saxophonist (there are so many to choose from!). Here he teams up with a fabulous soprano vocalist, Agnes Buen Garnas, for one of the strangest, most hauntingly beautiful albums I have ever heard. If you've seen the movie "The Navigator," you can imagine the mood--eerie, alien, cold, yet very warm, human, and profound at the same time. If you're a Garbarek fan looking for more jazz, this isn't it. If you're a lover of fantastic music looking for something that will turn your brain inside out in a most delightful way, give Rosensfole a try.

Having been a fan of Jan Garbarek's work since the early 1970's, I've seen/heard him go through many stanges of compositional expression. This album is one of my all-time favorites -- not just of his work, but of my entire collection. For this cd, Jan not only returns to his Norwegian roots -- he goes back hundreds of years, drawing upon the medieval songs of his homeland for his inspiration.

Playing all of the instruments himself, and joined by the incredible vocalist Agnes Buen Garnas, Garbarek takes the listener through territory seldom explored outside of Norway. There are many fine groups of Scandinavian musicians working today, and many of them are enjoying a well-deserved vogue of popularity -- Varttina, Hedningarna, Gjallarhorn, Mairi Boine Persen, Garmarna, Vasen...&c -- but the mood, time and place evoked by these pieces sets them completely apart from any of the fine work by these artists.

Jan's usually-heard saxophone is here, but it is awash in a mind-boggling (but ever-tasteful) ocean of keyboards, stringed instruments and percussives. Combined with Agnes' voice, the full effect is to sweep the listener away in both time and place. The modern instruments do not, as in some works by others, negate or grate against the soul of these ancient songs -- in the hands of Jan Garbarek, tempered by his deep love of this music, they enhance, embrace and honor it.

If you're appreciative of exploratory but infinitely listenable works, you owe it to yourself to give this some serious attention. The roots themes touched upon in some of Garbarek's other releases -- I TOOK UP THE RUNES, TWELVE MOONS (on which Agnes Buen Garnas also appears) -- are in full bloom here, making this cd a listening experience like no other, and one that will not soon be forgotten.

Garbarek is quite possibly Europe's most celebrated saxophonist at this point (not just Norway's, or just on the alto, as the other reviewer implies, tongue in cheek), and he has made this reputation partly by maintaining a recognizably individual, biting style, and partly by involving himself with all manner of kinds of music: contemporary jazz, ethnic/international music, folk music, and medieval and Renaissance classical. Here he provides the backing for a celebrated traditional singer, Agnes Buen Garnas, on early Norwegian music, and the effect is both beautiful and mesmerizing. Garbarek is mostly content to stand in the background, providing techno-atmospherics for Garnas' striking vocalizing. A note, moreover: in this work Garbarek himself plays hardly any music recognizable as coming from a saxophone, so be forewarned! Generous length.

This isn't a record I play too often - maybe once a year, but the songs stay with me so intensely, I'm not sure if I'd want to hear it more often. A truly ethereal work. A classic ECM record. I went through a period where I would buy ECM records simply because of their incredible cover-art. And I would rarely be disappointed. Many times I'd be stretched beyond my comfort zone, but I'd always find inspiration. The ticket is to play an ECM record when the timing, and mood, is right. For this one, as another reviewer has stated, Autumn is perfect. I may also add it is perfect for a cold winter's evening. Then again, it's a beautiful early summer day in Southern California right now, and it's perfect (on right now as I type).

If you're adventurous, take this one out for a spin, and also check out rest of the ECM catalog. The man behind ECM, Manfred Eicher, is amazing in that he lets artists create music that major labels would never allow. And he's also quite interested in making sure the recordings are audiophile quality. How lucky could adventurous listeners be?!

On a related note, as I listen to Rosenfole, I can't help but be reminded of another of my favorite, but rarely played, records: "The Lama's Chant: Songs of Awakening" by Lama Gyurme & Jean-Philippe Rykiel. Ethereal and transformative. Looks to be in short supply, but it can be found (here) used for just a few dollars. Amazing buy at that.

I'd like to echo, and emphasize, Mr. Smith's closing statement (see below): there isn't much of the saxophone, at least that I recognize, in this work. For those that were introduced to Mr. Garabeck by the hypnotic "Officium" and are looking for more of the same I'd advise looking elsewhere. "Ragas and Sagas" might be closer to the mark.

Don't mistake me: I don't question the value of this CD, but it's not quite my cup of tea. I appreciate Mr. Garabek's wide ranging talents and the eclectic mix of forms and styles that are borne of his experimentation. However, this is one mix that I don't find completely appealing.

If you're simply looking for "Officium 2" look elsewhere. If you'd like to explore some of the depth and breadth of Mr. Garabek's talent then by all means buy this CD.

This is wonderfully unique; a mixture of the very old and modern. This is music you can never tire of. It is also ageless; my son who is 5 loves it as much as I do. One comment to the other reviewer, with whom I generally agree: These are old Norwegian folk songs, not Lapp, which is a completely different language.

At long last, I have treated myself to this album. It's exquisite. The singer's voice is perfect, and Garbarek's accompaniment sensitive and supportive, never getting in the singer's way. My only complaint is that there are no texts, no translations, no indication to a speaker of anything but Norwegian what these songs are about. Is it just laziness on the part of the production company or the musicians, or is there some other reason? As a singer of medieval and traditional music from many countries and cultures, part of my reason for buying this classic album was to learn about this particular repertoire: I find the lack of information very disappointing. That being said, though, I will listen to this beautiful music over and over -- it takes me far from the madding crowd. Highly recommended.

Like a ghost, Rosenfole is a glimpse into a past world. The eerie nordic lilting evokes a less crowded existence both physically and mentally. It harkens back to when the human voice was exercised for both oneself, and to bring home the cows. It is an album best listened to alone, as the entries come across as solitary and pensive but not without purpose. Without being able to understand medieval Norsk, one gets the sense of foreboding, warning, and loss, but also hope. The industrial back-up is a bit quirky but not unwelcome. This is a compilation with an Autumn mood. Enjoy.