Alain Huck

Poems and Preludes presents twenty of Brian Agro's latest compositions for solo piano, interpreted and performed by Tomas Bächli. Brian Agro, born in Hamilton, Canada and now living in Berlin, released his debut CD on Percaso in 1989 titled A Hole in the Ice. Tomas Bächli, born in Zurich and now also living in Berlin, has been awarded numerous prizes for his work in promoting, interpreting and performing new music. Describing these pieces does not come easily, although listening to this music comes with great ease. Compositions for solo piano often capture my interest and imagination, although I often struggle to describe exactly what it is that so captivates me. Such is the case with Brian Agro's music. All of these pieces are short (from one to four minutes in length), and are defined by what Thomas Meyer describes in the liner notes as being largely "unremarkable". These poems, preludes and études each capture their own unique mood, theme and presence. Agro's music is a book of snapshots. The style might be described as neoclassical, reminiscent in turns of Satie or Debussy, but this is merely a suggestion, an affinity only hinted at in this music. At times the music takes flight in a sudden flurry of keys, at times it returns to the soil, sullen and slow. These pieces are at once simple and complex, remarkable and unremarkable, caged and free. Poems and Preludes is a lyrical and evocative new work.
Incursion, Richard di Santo


Brian Agro is a Canadian-born pianist/composer who, like Gunther Schuller, William Russo and Anthony Davis, straddles the sometimes-overlapping worlds of jazz and contemporary notated (i.e., “classical”) composition. Poems and Preludes is a collection of Agro’s pieces for piano, played here by Swiss pianist Tomas Bachli. Those who know the Percaso label for documenting the European avant/free jazz scene (the fine trio Day & Taxi, for one) may be a tad surprised by the “accessibility” of the music here. But hopefully not dismayed, for P & P is a fine, charming collection of miniatures for piano. They share qualities of some pianists’ legendary works for ECM Records in the early 70s: the unsentimental spaciousness of Paul Bley, the mix of folk simplicity and gentle urbanity of Dollar Brand/Abdullah Ibrahim and the romantic, rhapsodic nature of Keith Jarrett, while influences outside of jazz would include the piano music of Maurice Ravel (impressionist) and Phillip Glass (minimalist). And of course, the shadow of The Duke falls across the key now ‘n’ again. Yet all these sounds are not present as mere pastiche but are fully assimilated into Agro’s compositional approach. This music – extremely lyrical while avoiding sappiness, direct, reflective but never self-absorbed - seems “familiar” while also seeming like it belongs to no particular time or place at all.
jazzreview.com, Mark Keresman


Non è necessario essere dei critici musicali specializzati per rendersi conto della difficoltà che incontrano i compositori contemporanei nello sviluppare un linguaggio coerente e con caratteristiche di omogeneità, quando non addirittura innovativo. La ragione, si potrebbe pensare, è che mai come oggi risulta difficile scegliere una musica nella quale credere in un contesto in cui le tradizioni si assottigliano a vista d'occhio e - almeno potenzialmente - tutti ascoltano e conoscono tutto. Enni Morricone ha detto in più occasioni che qualsiasi via della musica è stata percorsa, non rimane più niente da scoprire. Se fosse vera sarebbe una prospettiva sconcertante, alla quale non possiamo nè vogliamo credere.
Brian Agro, giovane compositore canadese trapiantato in Germania da alcuni anni, per questa seconda raccolta di composizioni uscita a suo nome pare non essersi posto il problema. Poems and Preludes è nato dalla volontà del pianista Tomas Bachli di registrarla sua musica; Christoph Gallio, il fondatore della piccola etichetta svizzera Percaso che lo ha pubblicato, ha fatto da tramite. Agro scrive dunque brani brevi dal sapore neotonale in varie forme, con un'attenzione incentrata sul versante melodico. La prima traccia, "Two Short Pieces 1 & 2", non nasconde uno splendido tema della terza sinfonia di Brahms; in altre appaiono frammenti della sonata Op. 28 di Chopin, addirittura delle poco frequentate pagine pianistiche di Alexander Skriabin e si potrebbe andare avanti nel gioco del riconoscimento di temi noti. Non si può negare che questi siano posti in modo tale da far rimpiangere gli originali. Ma ci sono anche e soprattuto composizion(relativamente) originali, con degi li spazi destinati all'improvvisazione per l'esecutore in "Peintre célèbre" e "Improvisation on Resolution no. 4". Nelle note di copertina Agro asserisce di non aver cercato nuovi sentieri da percorrere, solo piacevoli melodie, suonate (splendidamente, aggiungiamo noi) da Bachli. Le sue interpretazioni e improvvisazioni meritano da sole l'acquisto del disco. Ciò detto, chi è a caccia di novità si rivolga altrove. Valutazione: * * *
all about jazz, Francesco Cisternino


In Poems and Preludes, Tomas Bachli gives a powerfully expressive solo piano performance of modern classical music by Brian Agro. The forms are varied, contrasting, and adventurous, and at times evoke the spirit of Ferrucio Busoni's early 20th century Sonatinas, particularly at track number four, entitled "What Goes Up."
However, as a composer, Agro is not so easily pigeonholed, as his technique is all encompassing, making use of the complete harmonic spectrum and orchestral range of the modern grand piano.
And his chromatic concept should not be underestimated. Even students of improvised music should benefit from close attention to the highly original chord structures and melodic treatments here.
Make no mistake about it: these are perfect piano recital pieces. The depth and breadth of these performances make them as important as Paul Jacobs' late 1970s sessions for Nonesuch Records.
Jazz Now, James D. Armstrong, Jr.


Brian Agro : « Poems and preludes » (Percaso/ import)
Percaso est un label suisse crée en 1986 par Christoph Gallio, dont les préoccupations rejoignent celle de nombres de ses confrères, à savoir assurer la production et la diffusion (lasurvie ?) De créations d’artistes européens dévoués à l’improvisation, tout genre confondu et à la musique minimaliste classique. Le Label compte déjà 19 références parmi lesquelles Urs Voerkel, Michel Kanan, Matthew Ostrowski, Day & Taxi, Ueli Derendinger, Christian Wolfarth,…
Ce 18 ème coup de semence est l’œuvre du Canadien Brian Agro. Celui-ci est âgé de 48 ans (1953, Hamilton). Epris de piano et de Jazz, « poems and preludes » et son second
album, faisant suite à « A hole in the ice ».
Le Canadien séduit rapidement, tant il fourvoie avec élégance et simplicité l’instrument piano pour le plier à ses vues. L’aide essentiel de Tomas Bächli, compagnon de fortune de ce disque, dont le répertoire englobe tout aussi bien la musique contemporaine, le néo-classique avec des interprétations d’œuvre de Jean Barraqué ou les travaux méconnus des futuristes Mosolov & Protopopov œuvre à l’ouverture et à la cohésion d’ensemble de ce « poems & preludes ».
Un duo de pianiste, pour piano, qui évoque, dans un autre registre l’influence des pianistes du 19ème, ou des signatures Naxos, ….
Les phases d’emballement mettent en relief les très beaux passages calmes, prenant à l’occasion l’auditeur par surprise, le brinquebalant au fil de ces multiples ruptures.
Jade web, Julien Jaffre