Ignis
Swiss violinist and composer Paul Giger is a versatile musician at home in the styles of many periods, genres, and national idioms, from Estonian to Tibetan. All the pieces on this record are sacred in character, whether or not they employ words; all are Giger's own compositions or arrangements, the latter using originals going back 1,000 years. The title piece is based on a hymn of Hildegard von Bingen, others on monophonic melodies of the Benedictine monks of the Abbey at St. Gallen. Much of the music is very beautiful. Predominantly slow and sustained, it is full of repetitive figures and drones; sometimes agitated syncopations in the strings are pitted against held chords in the voices. Since the pieces lack form and direction, they tend to feel static and long; several seem to end many times. "O Ignis," in tonal C minor, is the longest and most elaborate; going from devout and peaceful to intense and pleading, it rises to a passionate climax, with the sopranos soaring way up against emphatic basses. Giger inventively exploits the instrument's resources of color, inflection, and accentuation, as well as a large range of esoteric sound effects, while using the voices almost like a church choir. The resonant acoustics of Tallinn's Niguliste Church, where the recording was made, enhances the otherworldly quality of the music. The playing and singing are excellent; the sound is pure, the intonation perfect, and the performers' deep involvement never flags.--Edith Eisler