Ferdinand Schwarz — Listening Time
Listening Time is longform piece focused on subtly ebbing & shifting drone currents. The forty-five-minute work moves between pressing swells, delicate microtonal transfers, and moments of felt simmer.
The CD release appears on the always consistent Another Timbre, in the label's house style packaging, with a sparse white mini gatefold presentation. For the cover artwork, we get a monochrome photo of a stark/ flat landscape, with a few trees/ distant hedges on it- this nicely complements the music within.
Ferdinand Schwarz is a cologne Germany based composer. And going from his bandcamp he’s been active since the early 2020’s, the focus of his work is on non-developmental/ very subtly developing music.
This 2024 piece is played by AREPO- a modern ensemble featuring Madara Eleonora Mežale- clarinet. Marco Slaviero- electric guitar. Noël Rubli- accordion. Elizabeth Kate- cello.
The piece is built around a repeated- slightly spaced dwelling tone- initially this revolves around one instrument, but as things progress, more layers of repeated dwell are introduced/ at points pared back. The listener gets to hear each instrumental tone both on its own, and blending with another- and this, I think, tricks one into thinking there is more movement/ shift than there really is. The result work is both very competitive and earthy in its simmering press 'n' drift.
Listening Time is certainly a fitting title for this release, as it’s all about the progress of sonic time, and whether or not there is a shift or any development. For those who enjoy settling in & drifting off with in modern drone composition.