Abaton (album)

Abaton
Studio album by Sylvie Courvoisier
Released	October 14, 2003
Recorded	September 2002, Rainbow Studio, Oslo
Genre	Contemporary classical music, Improvised music, Jazz
Length	106:36
Label	ECM ECM 1838/39
Producer	Manfred Eicher
Sylvie Courvoisier chronology
Black Narcissus (2002) Abaton (2003) Entomological Reflections (2004)

Abaton is a double album by Swiss pianist and composer Sylvie Courvoisier recorded in 2002 and featuring one disc of compositions and one of improvised music.^[1][2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

AllMusic awarded the album 4½ stars and in its review by Thom Jurek, he states "Abaton is Courvoisier's crowning achievement thus far, and this group points her firmly forward in a direction where everything is still possible, demonstrating that there is something new under the sun in classical music and improvisation. Perhaps Abaton is the great moment of 2003 for new classical music".^[1] In JazzTimes, Andrew Lindemann Malone wrote "It's rare to hear modern classical music forged anew in the heat of improvisation, but that's exactly what Abaton does".^[3] On All About Jazz Kurt Gottschalk observed "Courvoisier's compositions are perhaps distinctly 21st century in the way they fit into a continuum of composed chamber work. They reflect without being ironic, refer without being referential. All in all, a refreshingly post-postmodern approach".^[4]

Track listing

Disc One: All compositions by Sylvie Courvoisier

1. "Ianicum" - 19:55
2. "Orodruin" - 12:33
3. "Poco a Poco" - 9:24
4. "Abaton" - 11:29

Disc Two: All improvisations by Sylvie Courvoisier, Mark Feldman and Erik Friedlander

1. " Icaria 1" - 4:04
2. "Imke's" - 2:08
3. "Icaria 2" - 3:30
4. "Clio" - 2:46
5. "Nova Solyma" - 4:42
6. "Spensonia" - 3:38
7. "Octavia" - 3:34
8. "Icaria 3" - 2:37
9. "Sonnante" - 3:37
10. "The Scar of Lotte" - 1:35
11. "Turoine" - 1:04
12. "Archaos" - 3:37
13. "Ava's" - 1:30
14. "Brobdingnag" - 1:29
15. "Calonack" - 2:55
16. "Precioso" - 2:46
17. "Sekel" - 1:26
18. "Izaura" - 2:51
19. "Narnia" - 1:50

Personnel

• Sylvie Courvoisier - piano
• Mark Feldman - violin
• Erik Friedlander - cello

Credits

• Engineered by Jan Erik Kongshaug
• Cover photography by Roberto Masotti
• Design by Sascha Kleis
• Liner photos by Deborah Feingold
• Produced by Manfred Eicher

Notes

• Recorded at Rainbow Studio in Oslo, Norway in September 2002

References

1. Jurek, Thom. "Sylvie Courvoisier Abaton - Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-01-21.
2. "ECM discography". ECM Records. Retrieved 2014-01-21.
3. Malone, A. L., Sylvie Courvoisier - Abaton Review, JazzTimes, April 2004.
4. Gottschalk, K., All About Jazz Review, December 4, 2003.