''The Happy End Problem (Music for Dance Volume 5)'' is a
studio album by
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
guitarist,
composer and
improvisor Fred Frith, and is the fifth of a series of
Music for Dance albums he made. It comprises two suites composed in 2003 by Frith "for flute, bassoon, gu zheng, percussion, violin and electronics" and was recorded in 2003 and 2004.
Background
The two suites on the album, "Imitation" and "The Happy End Problem" were composed by Frith for small
ensembles of six and seven musicians. They were originally commissioned in 2003 by
choreographer Amanda Miller for two dances for her
The Pretty Ugly Dance Company. Both suites premiered at the Stadttheater in
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, "The Happy End Problem" in May 2003 and "Imitation" in April 2004.
In "The Happy End Problem" Frith drew on elements from
Igor Stravinsky's 1910 ballet, ''
Firebird Suite''. "Imitation" focused on
Oriental elements and played on the
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania. 's perception of
Japan. At the time, the
shakuhachi player,
Kikutsubo Day was a student of Frith's at
Mills College
Mills College at Northeastern University is a private college in Oakland, California and part of Northeastern University's global university system. Mills College was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia, California; it was ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, and he constructed "Imitation" around her playing.
Reception
A reviewer at ''Sea of Tranquility'' summed up the album with the following comment:
:"Overall two highly accomplished and fascinating pieces of music, more perhaps for the classical enthusiast than the progger."
In a review for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
, François Couture wrote: "Whether you prefer the calm of 'Imitation' or the more disquieting overtones of 'The Happy End Problem,' both pieces fare very well without their choreographed component."
John Kelman of
All About Jazz
''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...
commented: "''The Happy End Problem''... is a fine summation of Frith's career to date: enigmatic beauty juxtaposed with near-minimalist tendencies; occasional passages of jagged but strangely appealing edges and unapologetic free play blending with cued compositional sections; and a confluence of cultural references that are unmistakable, even as they join together for a new, unified whole."
Writing for Paris Transatlantic, Massimo Ricci stated that "the music benefits enormously from the stunning performances of all the players involved," and, regarding the final track, remarked: "My soul undergoes a meltdown about 15 minutes into the track, when Wu Fei's delicate gu zheng figures remind us of the frailty of purpose amidst the often overwhelming forces of life... one of the most touching sections of... an instant classic."
Track listing
#"Imitation"
##"Ukon" (
Frith
Frith is an Old English word meaning "peace; protection; safety, security".
Etymology
Derived from Old English ''friðu, friþ'', it is cognate to Old Norse '' friðr'', Old Saxon '' frithu'', Old High German '' fridu'', German ''Friede'', Du ...
) – 6:18
##"Kira" (
Frith
Frith is an Old English word meaning "peace; protection; safety, security".
Etymology
Derived from Old English ''friðu, friþ'', it is cognate to Old Norse '' friðr'', Old Saxon '' frithu'', Old High German '' fridu'', German ''Friede'', Du ...
) – 5:37
##"Kio" (
Frith
Frith is an Old English word meaning "peace; protection; safety, security".
Etymology
Derived from Old English ''friðu, friþ'', it is cognate to Old Norse '' friðr'', Old Saxon '' frithu'', Old High German '' fridu'', German ''Friede'', Du ...
,
Scanlon) – 2:33
##"Tan" (
Frith
Frith is an Old English word meaning "peace; protection; safety, security".
Etymology
Derived from Old English ''friðu, friþ'', it is cognate to Old Norse '' friðr'', Old Saxon '' frithu'', Old High German '' fridu'', German ''Friede'', Du ...
,
Scanlon) – 3:05
##"Shi--o" (
Frith
Frith is an Old English word meaning "peace; protection; safety, security".
Etymology
Derived from Old English ''friðu, friþ'', it is cognate to Old Norse '' friðr'', Old Saxon '' frithu'', Old High German '' fridu'', German ''Friede'', Du ...
) – 1:33
##"Beni" (
Frith
Frith is an Old English word meaning "peace; protection; safety, security".
Etymology
Derived from Old English ''friðu, friþ'', it is cognate to Old Norse '' friðr'', Old Saxon '' frithu'', Old High German '' fridu'', German ''Friede'', Du ...
) – 3:52
##"Kasumi" (
Frith
Frith is an Old English word meaning "peace; protection; safety, security".
Etymology
Derived from Old English ''friðu, friþ'', it is cognate to Old Norse '' friðr'', Old Saxon '' frithu'', Old High German '' fridu'', German ''Friede'', Du ...
) – 2:15
##"Sumi" (
Frith
Frith is an Old English word meaning "peace; protection; safety, security".
Etymology
Derived from Old English ''friðu, friþ'', it is cognate to Old Norse '' friðr'', Old Saxon '' frithu'', Old High German '' fridu'', German ''Friede'', Du ...
) – 1:12
##"Hanabira" (
Frith
Frith is an Old English word meaning "peace; protection; safety, security".
Etymology
Derived from Old English ''friðu, friþ'', it is cognate to Old Norse '' friðr'', Old Saxon '' frithu'', Old High German '' fridu'', German ''Friede'', Du ...
,
Scanlon) – 3:48
#"The Happy End Problem" (
Frith
Frith is an Old English word meaning "peace; protection; safety, security".
Etymology
Derived from Old English ''friðu, friþ'', it is cognate to Old Norse '' friðr'', Old Saxon '' frithu'', Old High German '' fridu'', German ''Friede'', Du ...
) – 21:00
Personnel
*
Fred Frith – guitar, bass guitar, laptop instruments
*
Kikutsubo Day (1-9) – shakuhachi
*
Carla Kihlstedt
Carla Kihlstedt (born 1971) is an American composer, violinist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and currently working from a home studio on Cape Cod.
She is a founding member of Tin Hat Trio (1997, ...
– violin
*
William Winant
William Winant (born 1953) is an American percussionist.
In addition to his work in contemporary classical music—notably performing Lou Harrison's compositions—Winant has worked in a variety of genres, including noise rock, free improvisati ...
– percussion
*
Theresa Wong (1-9) – cello
*
Patrice Scanlon – electronics, clarinet
*
Sheela Bringi (10) – flute
*
Heather Vorwerck (10) – cello
*
Wu Fei
Wu Fei (, born May 12, 1977) is a virtuoso Chinese American composer, performer, and improviser from Beijing, China. She performs on the Chinese guzheng, an ancient zither with twenty-one strings, as well as sings. She currently resides in Nash ...
(10) – gu zheng
Sound and artwork
*"Imitation" recorded at Guerrilla Recordings,
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
, February 2004
*"The Happy End Problem" recorded at Guerrilla Recordings, Oakland, California, February 2003
*Engineered, mixed and mastered by
Myles Boisen
*Artwork by
Tom Kurth
References
External links
*.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Happy End Problem, The
2006 albums
Fred Frith albums
Fred Records albums
Albums produced by Fred Frith