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"Between
Two Worlds"
the Totentanz From Bern
released on Mears Music
Adrian Mears is proud
to release the first product on his own label. "Between Two Worlds"
is a 60min composition (the
Totentanz from Bern") for a 60 piece choir, chamber orchestra and jazz
ensemble, plus 2 bonus tracks of his suite for Didgeridoo, Chamber
orchestra and Jazz trio!!
17,50€
plus postage ( 2€ Germany, 4€ Europe, 7€
U.S.A)
To order please write
to
adrianmears@gmx.de
track 23 "Death to Queen"
(2.3MB)
Play
Composers Note
After being invited to write a composition to celebrate the 25th
anniversary of the Bern University Choir I went on a search for a theme
of great importance and interest. A theme connecting the history of Bern
and a powerful platform to light the fire of every persons imagination.
The Totentanz (Dance Le Macabre) satisfies this request in every way and
has been exploited by composers, writers and dancers countless times
since its origin around the 14th Century.
I took the opportunity to gather my classical influences of the Modern
romantics such as Debussy, Stravinsky and Faure and unite them with the
rich harmonic and rhythmic structures of modern jazz. As the Totentanz
describes in Poetry the different icons of society I decided to
portrait, in a classical format, the questions asked by Death (baritone
Robert Koller) with the answer reflected by a Jazz interpretation
(mezzo-sopran Lisette Spinnler). Jazz influences that comes to mind
include the styles of Gil Evans, Bob Brookmeyer or Shirley Horns with
strings, arranged by the great Johnny Mandel.
As my mother tongue is English I felt the need to translate the old
language of the 1516 painted text into English. Then, by transforming it
back into Poetry I made it more accessible to my own musical mind and
hopefully the International arena as well. I was able to adapt 80% of
this lengthy text from Nicklaus Manuel Deutsch and put the words and
images to music over a duration of 60 minutes.
The debut performance of this work was in the church where the orginal
Berner Totentanz was painted on the walls in 1516.
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didge photo by Eric Weiss
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Download Short Biography <
The Totentanz from Bern
Robert
Koller Bariton
Lisette Spinnler
Jazz-Vocals
Adrian Mears
Posaune
Collon
Vallon Piano
Bänz
Oester Bass
Matthias
Heep Leitung
Kammerorchester ad hoc
Special Gäste
Akiko Hasegawa, Altin Tafilaj
Chor der Universität Bern
Recorded live at
the
Franziskaner Church Bern and at the Peterskirche, Basel,
Switzerland 13th & 15th of June, 2006.
Mixed & mastered at Idee und Klang studios, Basel.
Soundengineer; Daniel Dettwiler.
Second engineer on recording; Moriz Wetter.
Assistant engineers on recording; Hannes Kumke and
michael brändli.
"Between Two Worlds"(bonus tracks)
Part 1 Challenge
Part 2 Waiting
Dirigent Till Fabian Weser
Adrian Mears
Didgeridoo
Jürgen Friedrich
piano
Volker Heinze
bass
John
Hollenbeck
drums
Deutsche Kammerakademie
Neuss am Rhein
Recorded live the
Zeughaus in Neuss and the Kloster Knechtsteden
Basilika,
Dormagen,
Germany. 16 &17.
Nov. 03. Sound engineer; Oliver Bergner.
Assistant engineer;
Janosch John
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