Colin Currie & Håkan Hardenberger - The Scene Of The Crime (2018) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

The duo with Hakan Hårdenberger is my musical safe space for maximum risk-taking. From my earliest point of connection with this most regal of musicians, what entranced me was the fearless audacity of the endeavour. Envelopes pushed, or simply reinvented, boundaries moved and canvasses recast. Rehearsals are intense; not many words spoken, a glance here or there, a certain type of breath taken, whilst the concerts are zones of feverish intensity, many-coloured and highly emotional. Too many now to pick out - San Fransisco, Seoul, Verbier, London, the Hanover concert with three World Premieres - I want to thank him for his encouragement, daring, humour and above all, friendship.” - Colin Currie

Percussionist Colin Currie and trumpeter Ha°kan Hardenberger have earned a reputation as fearless innovators. The charismatic and virtuosic duo have performed together for over a decade and their first album on Colin Currie Records presents four works written for the duo alongside André Jolivet’s ‘Heptade’, written for Maurice André.

The album takes its name from Brett Dean’s 2017 composition, which is the Australian’s homage to the pair’s skill and infectious drive, scored for trumpet, flugelhorn and drum kit.

Joe Duddell’s ‘Catch’ pairs marimba and trumpet in a lively, uptempo score blurring the musical hierarchy of soloist and accompanist.

Tobias Brostrom’s ‘Dream Variations’ evokes the paintings of Swedish artist Claes Eklundh through use of sustained percussion including Java gongs, vibraphone and dubaci.

The music of Daniel Bortz is often mystical and highly emotive and ‘Dialogo 4’ is no exception, the trumpet and percussion in partnership creating an immersive atmosphere.

Written in 1971, André Jolivet’s ‘Heptade’ is the earliest work on the album and is perhaps the archetypal 20th Century pairing of these two instruments. The late French composer’s music tasks Hardenberger with a fiendish trumpet part while Currie deftly handles a dizzying array of unpitched percussion throughout.

Tracklist:
1. Heptade : I. Allegro 02:27
2. Heptade : II. Vivo 01:56
3. Heptade : III. Cantante 03:32
4. Dream Variations: III. Déjà vu 02:59
5. Dialogo 4 13:06
6. Heptade : IV. Veemente 02:08
7. Heptade : V. Maestoso 02:48
8. Heptade : VI. Sempre stringendo 01:59
9. Heptade : VII. Vivo e ritmico 02:46
10. Catch : I. 04:04
11. Catch : II. 05:03
12. Catch : III. 04:16
13. Dream Variations : I. The Dream 03:45
14. Dream Variations : II. Mirror 04:43
15. …the scene of the crime… : …the scene of the crime… 12:29

Personnel:
Colin Currie, percussion
Hakan Hardenberger, trumpet