Wolfgang Muthspiel

Zwischen Etüde und Ekstase:
Bonn · Jazzfest Bonn in der Kapelle des Leoninums mit einem Abend voller musikalischer Kontraste – von meditativen Etüden über barocke Improvisationen bis hin zu eruptivem Avantgarde-Jazz.
Von Thomas Kliemann

A typically serious and highly detailed new work from Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel.

Marlbank

Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel returns to his classical roots with Etudes/Multitudes – well, sort of. While he composed the eleven etudes that form the heart of this program, Muthspiel didn’t set aside the improvisation in which he’s been soaked in his jazz world. Not only that, but some of the etudes – written as practice exercises, until it became clear they were actually pieces – are named after functions not usually associated with classical guitar performance: “Pedal,” “Tremelo,” the aptly titled “Vamp.” Combined with other etudes like “Schildehen” and the gorgeous “Melting Notes,” it makes for a beautiful series of interconnected musical moments.
His jazz elements really come to the fore on the additional works. He takes a sarabande (music written for a dance in triple meter) by Johann Sebastian Bach and adds a wistful improvisational section entitled “Between Two Sarabandes.” The contemplative “Abacus” comes from the pen of maverick jazz drummer Paul Motian, its stately improv sounding as elegiac as it does joyful. Muthspiel ends the program with “For Bill Evans,” a romantically melodic piece that pays tribute to the genius pianist who’s long had an outsized influences on master guitarists (cf. John McLaughlin and Ralph Towner). These pieces compliment the etudes perfectly, making Etudes/Multitudes a nice encapsulation of the way Muthspiel – a man steeped in both classical and jazz visions – practices his art.

by Michael Toland , The Big Takeover

Etude Nr. 6 (Triplets) is the fifth of some 16 new solo tracks from Wolfgang Muthspiel, the great Austrian guitarist and our track of the week.

The full Etudes/Quietudes from which the highly disciplined, absorbing track is drawn is out on Friday on the Clap Your Hands label.

A live affair recorded in Vienna at the national radio network ORF Österreichischer Rundfunk’s RadioKulturhaus, the mix is by La Buissonne genius engineer Gérard de Haro.

Bach and Motian

A J. S. Bach sarabande partly improvised in the interpretation and ‘Abacus’ by the legendary Bill Evans drummer Paul Motian – the second track in on the 1979 recorded ECM studio album Le Voyage – (Motian on that recording made in Germany with J. F. Jenny-Clark and Charles Brackeen) are also included.

‘Etudes celebrate craft’ – Wolfgang Muthspiel

Marlbank, Track Of The Week

One of my favorite contemporary artists on guitar is the overlooked Austrian Wolfgang Muthspiel. Usually associated with ECM, this time around he’s on a different label, but the style is similar in that he’s playing acoustic guitar in a gorgeously classical fashion. He mixes originals with some classical themes, all ranging between 1-4 minutes, and feeling like a Baroque festival. He shows rich ideas on Bach’s “Saraband” as well as taking some ideas from Brahms on “Etude NR 7”,  Paul Motian on  “Abacus” and a dedication to Bill Evans. His fingerwork is well tempered, with most of the pieces even describing what to expect, with “Etude NR 6” spotlighting triples, “NR 13” arpeggios and so on. The music itself becomes a rich Raphael tapestry of strings, woven together richly. Look for this one!

Jazz Weekly, by George W. Harris

Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel’s two previous recordings were from his successful trio with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade: Angular Blues (ECM, 2020) and Dance Of The Elders (ECM, 2023). The guitarist opts for a new label and format on the solo exposition Etudes / Quietudes. Etudes are functional compositions intended as exercises for students, typically concentrating on a single musical element to develop skill in performance. In classical music, pianists Muzio Clementi, Johann Baptist Cramer, Ignaz Moscheles, and Carl Czerny were best known for composing etudes for student instruction. Frédéric Chopin recast the etude as an artistic statement.

Muthspiel takes both to heart. The guitarist states, “I wrote my own etudes to practise certain technical aspects. Then I fell in love with the compositional process they inspired.” Muthspiel says, “Etudes celebrate craft!” Craft is a central point for me – all the musicians I admire have spent a lifetime working on their personal sound.” Etudes / Quietudes comprises eleven etudes, each bearing a descriptive subtitle. Enigmatically, Etudes NRs 2 and 3 are missing.

“Chords” is the subtitle of Etude NR. 5; the piece made up of all chords similar to what Keith Jarrett accomplished on his recording Creation (ECM, 2015). The guitarist modulates through a series of chords, making up the composition. On Etude NR. 8 “Melting Chords,” Muthspiel plays chord groups interlaced with one another so to sound like a slow cascade. Interspersed among the Etudes is the brief piece “Triplet Droplet” which sounds exactly as titled. Following Etude NR. 13 “Arpeggio,” Muthspiel presents several short pieces.

There is the triptych made up of Bach’s “Sarabande” from his Lute Suite BWV 995) which is followed up with the guitarist’s improvisation of the Bach piece, ending with a reprise of the original composition. Thoughtful and provocative, Muthspiel ends the recital with his angular improvisation on a theme by Paul Motian entitled “Abacus.” The guitarist closes the disc with an original composition, “For Bill Evans.” This is the most melodic and dramatically dynamic of all the performances making up this fine recording.

Wild Mercury Rhythm

On his first solo acoustic guitar album, Wolfgang Muthspiel couples eleven self-penned concert etudes with others of diverse character, including a tribute to jazz legend Bill Evans, a partly improvised elaboration on material by drummer and one-time Evans associate Paul Motian, and a treatment of a sarabande by Johann Sebastian Bach. In keeping with the basic idea of the etude, Muthspiel’s eleven were conceived as exercises designed to help the developing student refine specific skills. Their focal points are identified in titles that variously reference tremolo, triplets, chords, arpeggio, and the like; they’re never one-note exercises, however, when the Austrian guitarist smartly builds them into full-fledged compositions, despite being only two to three minutes at a time. “Etude Nr. 10 Sixths” illustrates the idea when it builds on the technical foundation to become a pretty, folk-styled expression.

It’s an interesting album for its trajectory too, as Muthspiel sequenced it to reflect his own path from violinist to classical guitarist to jazz musician, and it therefore makes sense that it culminates in the Motian and Evans settings. Muthspiel was first trained to play classical music on violin before switching to guitar at the age of thirteen and in the years that followed developed the ability to improvise in addition to read from a score. While elements of both classical and jazz surface during the album, it never organizes itself into clear-cut divisions between the styles; instead, the dimensions blur together in the performances such that drawing lines of demarcation becomes impossible. Recorded with care at the Vienna Radiokulturhaus, the material sparkles with pristine clarity.

Being a solo guitar recording, Etudes / Quietudes is naturally intimate, but it’s not always quiet and neither is it restful. The opening “Etude Nr. 1 Tremolo” moves at light-speed as Muthspiel drapes slow melodic lines across a torrential base that morphs into an even more dazzling picking episode. “Triplet Droplet,” “Etude Nr. 6 Triplets,” and “Etude Nr. 11 Vamp” similarly awe for the precision with which he executes challenging exercises with such seeming ease. Flowing gracefully, the lilting tapestries crafted for “Etude Nr. 8 Melting Chords” and “Etude Nr. 13 Arpeggio” are wondrous to behold.

Styles regularly change, with the lovely “Etude Nr. 4 Pedal” exuding a soothing folk-meditation character and Motian’s “Abacus Theme” receiving a deep bluesy reading. Muthspiel’s classical side moves to the fore for the gentle “Etude Nr. 7 Brahms Minor” and Bach’s stately “Sarabande” (the adjoining “Between Two Sarabandes” retains that classical quality whilst extending it into improvisational territory). In being titled after a scenic place in Austria, “Etude Nr. 9 Schildlehen” is one that less references a technique and more focuses on nostalgically evoking a scenic locale. Speaking of affection, Muthspiel’s admiration for Evans comes through loud and clear in the heartwarming tribute that ends the release, “For Bill Evans.”

Throughout the recording, the guitarist’s virtuosity is called upon but necessarily so in order to realize and demonstrate the skill in question. One comes away from the recording as impressed by Muthspiel’s versatility and the ease with which he performs in different stylistic contexts and articulates a range of moods. Adding to the project’s appeal for developing guitarists, Etudes / Quietudes is available in CD and LP formats, but the score for the eleven etudes can also be purchased as a download or in the form of a printed music book that includes the CD.

Textura

As one would also expect given Muthspiel’s reputation, all of these pieces are also highly musical and sometimes pretty unusual. Any library supporting any kind of guitar curriculum would be wise to pick this one up.

CD HOTLIST

“There is much to say about this record of lyrical solo compositions. But for now I’ll simply suggest that no one else could’ve made this beautiful recording. It demonstrates depth of soul, compositional maturity, extraordinary technique that somehow always feels modest. It calms the mind, stirs the heart, and excites the imagination.”

Alternative Guitar Summit

Jazz CD der Woche, ****
Das zweiteilige, meditative Eingangsstück «Invocation» zählt mit dem «Folksong», der die unwiderstehliche Eingängigkeit mancher Keith-Jarrett-Kompositionen hat, zu den Glanzlichtern des Albums. Neben Muthspiels eigenen Stücken überzeugen auch eine nachdenkliche Improvisation, die in Bachs Choral «Oh Haupt voll Blut und Wunden» mündet, eine Variation über das «Liebeslied» von Weill/Brecht und eine weitere über Joni Mitchells «Amelia». Muthspiel, ein Mann von vielen Talenten, zeigt sich auf diesem Album vor allem als versonnener Klangpoet.
NZZ, Manfred Pabst

In a musical landscape often dictated by genre-bending fusion and high-octane virtuosity, Wolfgang Muthspiel’s latest album, ‘Dance of the Elders’, offers a refreshing blend of complexity and coherence. The Austrian guitarist, long revered for his intricate compositional techniques and nuanced guitar work, reunites with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade in a follow-up to their lauded previous release, ‘Angular Blues.’ Together, they have crafted an opus that defies modern jazz’s limitations and encapsulates folk, classical, and world music elements. Muthspiel is a jazz guitarist with an expansive musical palette. He is flanked by Colley, a bassist whose reputation for innovative playing precedes him, and Blade, a drummer known for his textural approach and dynamic range. Together, the trio presents a unique blend of skills, bound by a chemistry honed through years of collaboration and extensive touring. Their partnership shows what’s possible when musicians of this caliber come together, creating a canvas that allows each artist to paint with their unique palette of sounds. ‘Dance of the Elders’ arrives as a significant statement in Muthspiel’s discography. Building upon the successes of previous works, it broadens the ensemble’s explorations into new musical territories. At its core, the album seeks to engage listeners in a journey—one that incorporates a wide array of influences while offering a cohesive narrative that only seasoned musicians could present. This creative vision comes to life in a meticulous track-by-track narrative that is a singular accomplishment in today’s jazz landscape.

Illiam Sebitz, 5 Finger Reviews

Deeply imbued in classical music (jazz came later), it’s no surprise to hear Muthspiel embracing a Bach chorale, although typically he starts from an improvisational space pitched against Colley’s arco bass. The Bach theme magically appears only briefly at the climax, resolving the steel acoustic’s meditation […] And when you thought the gentle giant could fly no higher, in flows Joni’s ’Amelia’. Here and throughout Blade’s spacious yet precise drums give Muthspiel all the room he needs yet never cease to surprise with colours and shapes that reflect the decade or so that he and Muthspiel have collaborated. A gift of an album, which words are too clumsy to describe. Just buy it.

Andy Robson, Jazzwise (Editor’s choice)

Ein Album voller Erinnerungen und Bilder, zerbrechlich, ruhig, nostalgisch und wunderschön. Musik, die dabei mehr als alles andere aus dem Moment geboren ist.

Sarah Seidel, Norddeutscher Rundfunk

Sensible Balance aller Effekte, weder prahlerisch noch mit Effekthascherei, atmosphärisch und poetisch. Weniger verspielt, kontemplativer als der Vorgänger ’Angular Blues’ bietet ‘Dance Of The Elders’ – wie schon öfter mit Bach-Anklängen und hier Joni Mitchell (‘Amelia’) – gereifte Saitenkunstauf der Höhe der Zeit.  

Karl Lippegaus, Stereo

Not that any validation of these delicately-nuanced forty-four some minutes is necessary —the harmonic notes that most appropriately decorate this title song come from all three instrumentalists—but co-production and mixing by the label founder himself Manfred Eicher, along with with the artist and Gérard de Haro — stands as affirmation of the unity of effort on the part of all involved. Both acoustic and electric textures benefit from the sonic definition and, as a result, the album conjures an altogether mesmerizing effect

Doug Collette, All About Jazz

But what a trio this is. Colley and Blade, who made ’Angular Blues’ with him five years ago, are effortlessly musical. Together they have something of the empathy of the Bill Evans trio […] The synthesis matters more than the elements, and the synthesis here is hugely confident and successful.

Brian Morton, Downbeat

Das in zahlreichen Tourneen zusammengeschweißte Dream-Team, das mittlerweile das frühere Trio mit Larry Grenadier und Jeff Ballard als Working-Band abgelöst hat, präsentiert einmal mehr ein kammermusikalisch anmutendes Kleinod. Drei viertel Stunden lang lässt es sich in angenehmer Ruhe und Schönheit schwelgen, wobei der ästhetische Feinspitz Muthspiel bei genauem Hinhören nicht nur mit seinem sicheren Gespür fürs Melodische zu begeistern vermag, sondern auch mit zahlreichen Raffinessen harmonischer und rhythmischer Art, die dem Wohlklang die dazugehörende Würze verpassen. Colley und Blade verleihen dem rhythmischen Grundgerüst Stabilität und Leichtigkeit zugleich und scheinen selbst vertrackteste Passagen locker aus dem Ärmel zu schütteln. In Muthspiels Spielweise auf der akustischen und elektrischen Gitarre verbinden sich Jazz-, Klassik- und Folk-Elemente zu atmosphärisch angenehmen und emotional ansprechenden Klangbildern und lässigen Grooves, die weit entfernt sind von gitarristischen Eitelkeitsdarbietungen oder schierem Virtuosentum. […] Ein durch und durch gelungenes Album, von Manfred Eicher in gewohnter Weise souverän produziert.

Peter Füssl, Kulturzeitschrift AT

Dem Trio gelingt auf ‘Dance Of The Elders’ eine Klangreise von rarer Intimität. So ungewöhnlich der Entschluss des Produzenten Manfred Eicher bei der Abmischung des Albums erscheint, das Werk mit einem an der Oberfläche extrem ereignisarmen, gut zehn Minuten langen, Stück zu eröffnen: ‘Invocation’ wird das Zeitempfinden vieler Hörer sanft ausser Kraft setzen. Unversehens gerät man in den Sog einer Jazzkammermusik, die manche Echos aus den Siebziger Jahren bereithält, etwa eine sanft fesselnde Version von Joni Mitchells ‘Amelia’, aus ihrem Klassiker ‘Hejira’, oder eine Reminiszenz an das legendäre ‘Belonging’-Quartett von Keith Jarrett.

Michael Engelbrecht, Deutschlandfunk

Dem Trio gelingt auf ‘Dance Of The Elders’ eine Klangreise von rarer Intimität. So ungewöhnlich der Entschluss des Produzenten Manfred Eicher bei der Abmischung des Albums erscheint, das Werk mit einem an der Oberfläche extrem ereignisarmen, gut zehn Minuten langen, Stück zu eröffnen: ‘Invocation’ wird das Zeitempfinden vieler Hörer sanft ausser Kraft setzen. Unversehens gerät man in den Sog einer Jazzkammermusik, die manche Echos aus den Siebziger Jahren bereithält, etwa eine sanft fesselnde Version von Joni Mitchells ‘Amelia’, aus ihrem Klassiker ‘Hejira’, oder eine Reminiszenz an das legendäre ‘Belonging’-Quartett von Keith Jarrett.

Michael Engelbrecht, Deutschlandfunk

Jetzt legt er sein jüngtes Album vor, mit dem Trio, mit dem er auf ausgedehnten Tourneen durch Europa, die USA und Japan unterwegs war: Am Schlagzeug sein alter Freund Brian Blade, am Bass Scott Colley. ’Dance of the Elders’ ist sozusagen das Resultat dieser intensiven Live-Erfahrung – das Meisterwerk eines dicht integrierten Trio-Jazz, einer konzentrierten und gleichzeitig offenen, folgerichtigen und überraschenden Musik dreier Partner, die alle weniger auf Selbstinszenierung aus sind als auf die behutsame Entwicklung eines inspirierten gemeinsamen Klangs. […] Wolfgang Muthspiel, Autor  von fünf der sowohl anrührenden wie komplexen Stücke, mal folk-inspiriert (‘Folksong’), mal auf Klassisches bezogen (‘Prelude to Bach’), schafft auf dem akustischen wie auf dem elektrischen Instrument (inklusive behutsamer elektronischer Weiterungen) seinen ganz eigenen Sound. Auch in seiner Lesart von Kurt Weills ’Liebeslied’ und Joni Mitchells ‘Amelia’. Transparente, vielschichtige, lebendige Musik. 

  Peter Rüedi, Weltwoche

This is Muthspiel’s sixth album for ECM, and like many of the artists on the label his playing falls somewhere between lyrical and atmospheric, incorporating hints of both folk and classical music into his jazz where space seems to be the fourth collaborator. Needless to say, there is plenty of room for group interplay and the beauty is found in the nuances. […] There are no wasted notes, no overt showmanship, just intimate trio interaction that yields beautifully flowing, mesmerizing music. Sometimes it conjures such inexplicable curiosity, that you’ll return thinking you may have missed something the first time through.

Jim Hynes, Glide Magazine