Early music in the latest way

Quartet Ajaton · Abdissa Assefa · Henry Purcell · Jehan Chardavoine

2021 · Physical and digital · ABCD 458

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Credits

Performers: Quartet AjatonAbdissa Assefa — Percussion
Composers: Henry PurcellJehan ChardavoineJohn BlowJohn DowlandMarin Marais

About this release

Quartet Timeless' second album "Early Music in the Latest Way". As the name suggests, the album contains old music, mainly compositions from the Renaissance and Baroque eras, which in the warm but unconventional embrace of a special band get a new, significantly different interpretation from the traditional one. The backgrounds of the musicians are wide-ranging: from jazz music to baroque, from Argentinian tango to contemporary music, improvisation and experimenting with everything in the world. This has made the quartet's music making a real discovery trip for six years already. "We wanted to create a bridge between the past and the present; a landscape bridge that lasts for a long time, from which there are views of both the new and the old - and from which, when you look, you notice new details in the music," describes Mia Simanainen. What kind of configuration? -The strange quartet founded by singer Mia Simanainen in 2014 elegantly blows definitions to the skies. -Gamba artist Mikko Perkola is known above all as a soulful interpreter of old music, Kari Ikonen as a cosmopolitan jazz musician and composer, Henrik Sandås as a virtuoso tango wizard and Mia Simanainen as a pure voice interpreter of Northern European jazz music. In this group, open-minded artists dive together into unknown waters to create something unheard of. -The band released their debut album "Elixir" (Eclipse Music) in 2016, and a video collection in 2018. The repertoire has also been like a collection of exceptions, where improvised landscapes, folk music verses, 16th century lute songs and original compositions form a surprising whole. -Quartet Ajaton has done tours and concert trips, performing in Finland, England, Sweden, Estonia and Russia.

Tracks

1.MIGNONNE, ALLONS VOIR SI LA ROSEcomp. Jehan Chardavoine · lyrics Jehan ChardavoineISRC FIABA20002091:46
2.Come Againcomp. John Dowland · lyrics John DowlandISRC FIABA20002104:32
3.Improvisation On“ Les Voix Humaines"comp. Marin Marais · lyrics Janet FrameISRC FIABA20002114:14
4.When I Am Laid In Earthcomp. Henry Purcell · lyrics Henry PurcellISRC FIABA20002124:04
5.Awake, Sweet Lovecomp. John Dowland · lyrics John DowlandISRC FIABA20002133:57
6.Waka Wanha Wäinämöinencomp. John Dowland · lyrics John DowlandISRC FIABA20002144:15
7.The Self Banishedcomp. John Blow · lyrics Edmund WallerISRC FIABA20002156:18
8.Now, O Now, I Needs Must Partcomp. John Dowland · lyrics John DowlandISRC FIABA20002162:36
9.Waka Wanha Wäinämöinencomp. Trad. · lyrics Trad.ISRC FIABA20002175:26

Reviews

This is not to say that the album isn’t enjoyable, only that the gimmick is superficial and wears thin after a few tracks.
Fanfare · James V. Maiello · June 29, 2022
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Konsertit
Sibbe Live:
Quartet Ajaton
Sibelius-museossa 28.10.
L aulaja-muusikko-säveltäjä Mia Simanainen (s.1970) perusti Quartet Ajattoman 2014, agendana rikkoa musiikillisia rajoja ja tuoda John Dowlandin (1563–1626) kaltaisten mestarien musiikkia tähän päivään.
Samaa materiaalia on tutkittu taajaan. Vanhan musiikin yhtyeet ovat ennallistaneet teoksia tarkasti periodisoittimin Stingille taas Dowland edustaa ensimmäistä pop-laululyyrikkoa.
Quartet Ajattoman ideat…
Matti Komulainen
Levyarvio: Uuden ja vanhan musiikin onnistunut symbioosi Quartet Ajattomalta
EARLY MUSIC IN THE LATEST WAY
Quartet Ajaton
Mia Simanainen, laulu
Henrik Sandås, bandoneón
Kari Ikonen, moog-syntetisaattori
Mikko Perkoila, viola da gamba
Alba
Levyn tunnelma on rauhallinen ja luo hyvinkin tunnelmallisia tuokiokuvia.
Quartet Ajattoman toisella levyllä tehdään aikamatka uuden ja vanhan musiikin välillä. Lähinnä renessanssin ja barokin aikaisia sävellyksiä käsitellään nykyaikaisin keinoin, sekä…
Jari Pitkänen Keskisuomalainen, 8.11.2020