Ernstalbrecht Stiebler & Tilman Kanitz — The Pankow-Park Sessions Vol 1

The Pankow-Park Sessions Vol.1 presents us with a melancholily hazed take on the improv form, with a sound that sits somewhere between sparse modern classical drift, acoustic ambience, and a lulling-to-lightly angular soundtracking. All of the six tracks feature just piano and cello work- with the tone of the work moving between bleakly hovering and pressingly forlorn.

The release brings together Ernstalbrecht Stiebler- who before this release had been known as a more formal classical composer of chamber, choral, piano, and organ works that date back to the late 1960s. And Tilman Kanitz – who creates sound collages/ installations from classical and experimental music, collaborating with musicians, dancers and performers. Both gentlemen are from Berlin.

Stiebler handles the piano here, and Kanitz the cello. The six tracks date from between March and October 2021- with each track having a runtime between five and fourteen minutes. We open with “Session 28.3” it begins with slow cascading flows of mid-ranged/ felt piano notation, and hoveringly droning at points pressing cello bow. As we progress earthy grate ‘n’ swam meets compressed high note tinkle meshes, through to orate spaced keys joined by slowed bows.

With track three “Session 28.2” we begin with just hoveringly forking and light bowing strings. Fairly soon piano key flourishes gather around the cello- shifting between tight mid-range clusters, and more loosely bounding forlorn-ness. As we near the tracks end both instruments are skilfully reduced down, before finally fading out. The album plays out with “Session 33.1” this begins with a mixture of shifting piano key clusters, and slowly bowed drifts and sour string simmers. As it moves on that feeling of forlorn uncertainly, and bitter-sweet drifting maintains- with the pairs playing touched by hints of unfurling harmony and wayward discord.

As this is sub-titled Vol 1, there is a suggestion that we can expect more work from this pair- and I do hope we do. As they play off each other very well, and what they are creating here is fairly distinctive/ unusual within the improv camp.