American Record Guide Nov/Dec 2018

LOHSE: Collage de Temps; 5 Momenti Mobile; Moto Immoto
1 Dec 2018 American Record Guide Nov/Dec 2018
Review by: Nathan Faro

Work by Lohse: Collage de temps (piano and sinfonietta)
Cd: Collage de temps. Dacapo 8.226590

LOHSE: Collage de Temps; 5 Momenti Mobile; Moto Immoto
David Lau Magnussen, p; Bjarke Mogensen, Claudio Jacomucci, acc; Christina Astrand, v; Toke Moldrup, vc; Danish Chamber Players/Casper Schreiber
Dacapo 8226590—57 minutes


I thoroughly enjoyed this music. Lohse is drawn to consonant minimalism, employing most dissonance as passing and decorative, rather than structural. He uses what he calls mobile technique, where sections with their own tempo, meter, and style are arranged in an endless sequence of major thirds, transformed as if seeing another side of the same object. The clearest example of the technique can be seen in the melancholy Moto immoto. It alternates between periods of active movement and quiet stasis, returning to the same sections, a little changed each time. The notes repeatedly mention the music’s resemblance to Glass, but I hear a clearer connection to Nyman. I noticed this often in the piano concerto, Collage de Temps. It is a joyous romp, sometimes suggesting different historical styles, from Baroque to jazz. It takes considerable willpower not to rewind to the beginning when it finishes. The 5 Momenti Mobile are just as eclectic, if not more so. They are scored for the unusual combination of accordion duo with piano trio. The colors contrast quite nicely. The pieces alternate between a peppy staccato style and wistful lyricism. Like the rest of Lohse’s works on the album, it is a delight.

Nathan Faro