Search - Terje Rypdal :: Double Concerto/5TH Symphony

Strange Brew: Rypdal suprises with his formidable classical

Scott M. | Indianapolis, IN USA | 02/10/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I had been a fan of Terje Rypdal's rock/jazz/fusion guitar work for quite some time when I had heard he had studied classical composition and had composed a number of classical works. This made me instantly curious as I have always found his jazz fusion compositions to be informed by the European classical tradition. It also intrigued me when I had read he was a fan of Stravinsky's. At that point, before digital distribution, I found it dificult to track down the very limited set of recordings available. The first one I found was Undisonus. This guitar-less orchestral work floored me as I wasn't expecting much from a guy who plays Hendrix influenced jazz fusion. I could hear the influences of many 20th century masters like Stravinsky, Schoenberg and Boulez, yet it stood on it's own as an accomplished piece of modern classical music.



The Double Concerto/5th Symphony is the second Rypdal classic work I've obtained and it's a welcome addition to the catalog. Much to my pleasure, the first concerto includes the guitar. Instead of using the standard classical guitar, Rypdal has chosen to use the electric guitar, effects processing and all and this creates an other-worldly effect. It's like Hendrix meets Stravinsky. From what I can gather, it appears that Rypdal used his regular rig for this recording (Stratocaster, delay etc.). I found the classical composition itself to be a bit repetitive in spots, and I thought the writing was better on Undisonus. Other than that, this is a great recording and interesting from the classical music perspective. I've heard classical music with various electronic instruments, but never with the beautifully tripped-out guitar I found here. Also recommended, if you like this, is Lux Aeterna."