Eleventh Hour (Fred Frith album)
Encyclopedia
Eleventh Hour is a double album
by English
guitarist
, composer
and improvisor
Fred Frith
. It comprises five long pieces composed by Frith between 1990 and 2001, and was performed by the Arditti Quartet
(strings) with Uwe Dierksen (trombone), William Winant (electric guitars) and Frith (electric guitars), in Germany
and the United States
in 2003 and 2004. Frith only plays on the second CD of this album.
A review in All About Jazz
said this of the album: "Eleventh Hour documents Frith’s continued growth as a composer in the new music arena, and for all its juxtaposition of light and dark, it remains totally compelling and strangely beautiful." Another review at All About Jazz said that "Frith continues to beguile and surprise".
, under the direction of Frith, performed on all the pieces, and were recorded at Il Bagno in Steinfurt
, Germany
in June 2003.
"Lelekovice", for a string quartet
, also called "String Quartet #1", was written in 1990 for Iva Bittová
, Lelekovice being the name of the village near Brno
in the Czech Republic
where Bittová lives. It was first performed in July 1991 by the Edison Quartet at the Nieuwe Musiek Festival, in Middelburg
, the Netherlands
, and was used by the United States
choreographer
Amanda Miller in her dance piece, My Father's Vertigo in 1991. A recording was made in December 1992 by the Violet Wires String Quartet in London
, which was released on Frith's 1994 album, Quartets
. The recording on this album was made by the Arditti Quartet in 2003.
"Tense Serenity", for a string trio
and trombone, was written in 1997 and was performed here by the Arditti Quartet as a trio (without Graeme Jennings on violin) and Uwe Dierksen on trombone.
"Allegory" and "Fell", both for string quartet and electric guitar, were composed in 2001, and were performed here by the Arditti Quartet in June 2003 in Germany. Frith's electric guitar was recorded later in March 2004 in Germany and added to the mix
.
"Stick Figures", for six guitars and two players, was composed in 1990 and performed by Frith and William Winant in the United States
in May 2004. They multi-tracked
prepared electric guitars
to create layers of guitar sounds.
Disc 2
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and improvisor
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
Fred Frith
Fred Frith
Fred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
. It comprises five long pieces composed by Frith between 1990 and 2001, and was performed by the Arditti Quartet
Arditti Quartet
The Arditti Quartet is a string quartet founded in 1974. The quartet is associated particularly with contemporary music.-Early history:The quartet was founded in 1974 by violinist Irvine Arditti together with John Senter, Levine Andrade and Lenox Mackenzie...
(strings) with Uwe Dierksen (trombone), William Winant (electric guitars) and Frith (electric guitars), in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2003 and 2004. Frith only plays on the second CD of this album.
A review in All About Jazz
All About Jazz
All About Jazz is a leading jazz music website for enthusiasts and industry professionals based in Philadelphia in the United States.Founded by Michael Ricci in 1995, the Web-Site is maintained by a volunteer staff of writers, editors, and musicians, and provides coverage of all genres of jazz from...
said this of the album: "Eleventh Hour documents Frith’s continued growth as a composer in the new music arena, and for all its juxtaposition of light and dark, it remains totally compelling and strangely beautiful." Another review at All About Jazz said that "Frith continues to beguile and surprise".
Description
With the exception of "Stick Figures", the Arditti QuartetArditti Quartet
The Arditti Quartet is a string quartet founded in 1974. The quartet is associated particularly with contemporary music.-Early history:The quartet was founded in 1974 by violinist Irvine Arditti together with John Senter, Levine Andrade and Lenox Mackenzie...
, under the direction of Frith, performed on all the pieces, and were recorded at Il Bagno in Steinfurt
Steinfurt
Steinfurt is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Steinfurt.-Geography:Steinfurt is situated north-west of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia. Its name came into being in 1975 when the two – up to then independent – parts of the city – Borghorst and...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in June 2003.
"Lelekovice", for a string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
, also called "String Quartet #1", was written in 1990 for Iva Bittová
Iva Bittová
Iva Bittová is a Czech avant-garde violinist, singer and composer. She began her career as an actress in the mid 1970s, appearing in several Czech feature films, but switched to playing violin and singing in the early 1980s. She started recording in 1986 and by 1990 her unique vocal and...
, Lelekovice being the name of the village near Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
where Bittová lives. It was first performed in July 1991 by the Edison Quartet at the Nieuwe Musiek Festival, in Middelburg
Middelburg
Middelburg is a municipality and a city in the south-western Netherlands and the capital of the province of Zeeland. It is situated in the Midden-Zeeland region. It has a population of about 48,000.- History of Middelburg :...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and was used by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
choreographer
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
Amanda Miller in her dance piece, My Father's Vertigo in 1991. A recording was made in December 1992 by the Violet Wires String Quartet in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, which was released on Frith's 1994 album, Quartets
Quartets (Fred Frith album)
Quartets is a 1994 studio album by English guitarist, composer and improvisor Fred Frith. It consists of two compositions by Frith, "Lelekovice, String Quartet #1", performed by the Violet Wires String Quartet, and "The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not", performed by an...
. The recording on this album was made by the Arditti Quartet in 2003.
"Tense Serenity", for a string trio
String trio
A string trio is a group of three string instruments or a piece written for such a group. The term is generally used with reference to works of chamber music from the Classical period to the present.-History:...
and trombone, was written in 1997 and was performed here by the Arditti Quartet as a trio (without Graeme Jennings on violin) and Uwe Dierksen on trombone.
"Allegory" and "Fell", both for string quartet and electric guitar, were composed in 2001, and were performed here by the Arditti Quartet in June 2003 in Germany. Frith's electric guitar was recorded later in March 2004 in Germany and added to the mix
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
.
"Stick Figures", for six guitars and two players, was composed in 1990 and performed by Frith and William Winant in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in May 2004. They multi-tracked
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
prepared electric guitars
Prepared guitar
A prepared guitar is a guitar that has had its timbre altered by placing various objects on or between the instrument's strings, including other extended techniques...
to create layers of guitar sounds.
Track listing
Disc 1- "Lelekovice (String Quartet #1, for Iva Bittová)" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
)- "Part I" – 1:48
- "Part II" – 4:42
- "Part III" – 0:49
- "Part IV" – 3:18
- "Part V" – 2:07
- "Part VI" – 4:45
- "Part VII" – 5:44
- "Part VIII" – 1:04
- "Part XI" – 4:02
- "Tense Serenity (string trio and trombone)" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
)- "Part I" – 11:23
- "Part II" – 9:00
- "Part III" – 4:58
- "Part VI" – 3:58
- "Part V" – 2:13
Disc 2
- "Allegory (string quartet and electric guitar, for Irvine Arditti)" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
)- "Part I" – 3:51
- "Part II" – 7:00
- "Part III" – 4:03
- "Stick Figures (6 guitars and 2 players)" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 17:28 - "Fell (string quartet and electric guitar)" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 11:55
Personnel
- Arditti QuartetArditti QuartetThe Arditti Quartet is a string quartet founded in 1974. The quartet is associated particularly with contemporary music.-Early history:The quartet was founded in 1974 by violinist Irvine Arditti together with John Senter, Levine Andrade and Lenox Mackenzie...
(disc 1, track 1; disc 2, tracks 1,3)- Irvine ArdittiIrvine ArdittiIrvine Arditti is a British violinist.-Life:He began his studies at the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 16 where he studied with Clarence Myerscough and Manoug Parikian. He joined the London Symphony Orchestra in 1976 and after two years, at the age of 25, became its Co-Concert Master...
– violin - Graeme Jennings – violin
- Ralf Ehlers – viola
- Rohan de SaramRohan de SaramRohan de Saram is a British-born Sri Lankan cellist. Until his thirties he made his name as a classical artist, but has since become renowned for his involvement in and advocacy of contemporary music....
– cello
- Irvine Arditti
- Arditti TrioArditti QuartetThe Arditti Quartet is a string quartet founded in 1974. The quartet is associated particularly with contemporary music.-Early history:The quartet was founded in 1974 by violinist Irvine Arditti together with John Senter, Levine Andrade and Lenox Mackenzie...
(disc 1, track 2)- Irvine ArdittiIrvine ArdittiIrvine Arditti is a British violinist.-Life:He began his studies at the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 16 where he studied with Clarence Myerscough and Manoug Parikian. He joined the London Symphony Orchestra in 1976 and after two years, at the age of 25, became its Co-Concert Master...
– violin - Ralf Ehlers – viola
- Rohan de SaramRohan de SaramRohan de Saram is a British-born Sri Lankan cellist. Until his thirties he made his name as a classical artist, but has since become renowned for his involvement in and advocacy of contemporary music....
– cello
- Irvine Arditti
- Uwe Dierksen – trombone (disc 1, track 2)
- William Winant – electric guitars (disc 2, track 2)
- Fred FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
– electric guitars (disc 2, tracks 1-3)
Sound
- Disc 1, tracks 1,2 and disc 2, tracks 1,3 recorded at Il Bagno, SteinfurtSteinfurtSteinfurt is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Steinfurt.-Geography:Steinfurt is situated north-west of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia. Its name came into being in 1975 when the two – up to then independent – parts of the city – Borghorst and...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, June 2003 - Disc 2, tracks 1,3, guitar recorded at Erich Thienhaus Institut Hochschule fur Musik, DetmoldDetmoldDetmold is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of about 74,000. It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, March 2004 - Disc 2, track 2 recorded at Guerrilla Recordings, OaklandOakland, CaliforniaOakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, May 2004 - Engineered by Christoph Terbuyken, Marcel Babazadeh and Myles Boisen