The concise and relatively short pieces (Duets 1 – 18) featured on this new recording continue Mantler’s basic concept of creating music that is in part completely notated, but also involves improvisation. It is here reduced to a minimum, possibly his simplest and most economic interpretation of that idea so far, with only two instruments: the piano representing his basically orchestral compositional concept with a soloist from contemporary new music (a „classical“ non-improvising pianist), combined with a second player coming from jazz, the guitarist (improvising/freely interpreting).
Per Salo’s piano tracks were recorded during June 2010 at Studios La Buissonne at Pernes-les-Fontaines, France and Bjarne Roupe´s guitar tracks during August at his home in Copenhagen. The material was subsequently edited by Michael Mantler, and mixed and mastered September/October 2010 at Studios La Buissonne with engineers Gérard de Haro and Nicolas Baillard. (Pressetext)