Development at the counterpart

The album bears the characteristic title continuein other words, the opposite of standing still, and that is a good thing. Keller's music has developed continuously over the years. The eight pieces show different facets. In hurry up and wait for example, the virtuoso violinist (Egidius Streiff), supported by the composer's live electronics, enters into a stop-and-go process. Energies pull forward and are stopped again. Perhaps this is an appropriate (and sonically very distinctive) image for our era. Another central work, a highlight of this CD, speaks to something similar: the sextet stand still, climb up, improvisewhich develops both surprisingly and logically and contains improvisational forms. Thus one encounters some essential aspects of Keller's music again here - including free improvisation, which is represented by a short excerpt from a WiM concert with trombonist Günter Heinz. Max E. Keller was one of the first Swiss free jazz musicians in the 1960s and could be heard at the Zurich Jazz Festival in 1968, for example.

The CD contains chamber music from flute solo to septet. The compilation is supplemented by "autobiographical sketches" in which Keller recounts the stages of his life. This also reveals the Keller that is missing on the new CD: the offensively political composer. He has repeatedly exposed himself on social issues in his works. Has he withdrawn from this in the meantime? Or is there not something of a critical stance in the unwieldiness of certain moments that rejects beautiful sound? An example of this is the duo Dialogue - Unity - Contrast for flute and guitar, which attempts to create an almost musical interplay from set pieces, but repeatedly breaks out of this. Keller's music often arises from such contrasts. He needs the counterpart.

Max E. Keller: continue. Egidius Streiff, violin; Evgeniya Spalinger, flute; Marisa Minder, guitar, Ensemble via nova; Ensemble Horizonte, Ensemble Aventure a.o. Streiffzug SC2101