Biliana Voutchkova & Sarah Davach — Slow Poem For Stiebler

Slow Poem For Stiebler is a nearing fifty-minute piece for violin, reed organ, and subtle voice elements. It’s an example of wavering and deeply forlorn drone work-come-low-key modern classical composition, which as its title suggests it’s a tribute to the work of German composer Ernstalbrecht Stiebler.

The release appears on the always-consistent Another Timber. Been presented in labels house style minimal & white mini gatefold. On its front cover- we find a murky wood print-like illustration of a rabbit, dog, and lion playing a pipe organ & a violin.
 
 
The release brings together violinist, improviser, and composer  Biliana Voutchkova- on violin & voice. And organist, pianist, and composer Sarah Davach on reed organ.  The work was composed between 2021 & 2022- then recorded in April 2022 in LA.
 
The work comes in at the forty-eight minute and forty-four-second mark. And is built around the slow cycling of the same/ closely related selection of drones, & subtly harmonic notation. We get brief pauses/ gaps occurring from time to time- be it from the violin, reed organ, or both instrements. The whole work creates a wonderful feeling of sombre lull, with Voutchkova faint wavery voice pitch appearing ever so often in the hovering & drifting sound.
 
The whole thing has a rather forlornly elegant, wind-swept, & broken down regal feel to its unfold. At points, one gets hints at fragile melody, and maybe even a suggestion that the pace/ tone may pick up, but it never does. With the pair managing to pull both sombre spirit and wavering fraught-ness from the work. As you’d imagine this is very much a work you have to sit with, and let it slowly but surely glide over you like a slight chilling & shadowy breeze on a summer day.
 
For those who enjoy more mournful, if at points simmering organic drone composition, which really rewards focused & concentrated listening Slow Poem For  Stiebler will be a real treat.