Miklos Sugar – After Storm, Luxatio, Miniatures, Songs etc. (2003)

When member sdpt posted the album “Pulsations” from Hungarian composer Miklos Sugar the other day and I gave it a spin, the astonishing range of novel sounds displayed on this record intrigued me. The Hungarian would nicely fit in a record label like Creel Pone, which collected all kinds of obscure and forgotten early electronic music, often used for movies etc. Therefore, I thought I had to explore the music of this utterly new name for me a little further.
Somehow, Sugar reminds me of Dutch composer Ton Bruynel, who combined acoustics and electronics in a way which sounds similar here and there; although I do not doubt the way in which the sounds of both artists were created is very different. Bruynel, after all, worked with tape; I hardly think that’s an option for manipulating sounds these days.
And then, Sugar is a son of the same country as my beloved Bartok; as soon as you hear soprano Zsuzsa (what voice!) sing the words of poet/painter Bela Kondor on this album, you’ll realize Bluebeard’s Castle cast its shadow over decades of serious Hungarian vocal music. These are beautiful songs; unfortunately, the booklet doesn’t offer a translation of the poems, so I have no clue what they are about.
A special note for track 5, “Luxatio”, a Latin term for a dislocated knee, which the composer suffered from when he wrote the piece for flute virtuoso Istvan Matuz (performing here). This is a dazzling solo - no electronic manipulation used! - in which Sugar shows his uncanny ability to extract new sounds from conventional instruments. It must be sheer hell to perform.

A new name for me, then, and one that I gladly add to my collection of worthwhile avant-garde composers. Sugar sounds thoroughly modern, yet he’s quite accessible.
I ordered for two of his albums, so there’s one more to go.

Tracks:

1. Vihar Után / After Storm 9'21"
dalok Kondor Béla Verssoraira / Songs On Verses By Béla Kondor 5'50"
2. I. pohár / The Glass 1'59"
3. Ii. hallgatok / I Listen 2'04"
4. Iii. valahollét / From Somewhere 1''47"
5. Luxatio 10'34"
három Dal Morgenstern Verseire
three Songs On Poems By Morgenstern 5'53"
6. I. hintaszék Az Elhagyott Teraszon / Schaukenstuhl Auf Der Verlassenen
terrasse / Rocking-chair On The Deserted Terrace 3'25"
7. Ii. idõk Közt / Inter Zeiten / Between Tenses 0'43"
8. Iii. a Víz / Das Wasser / Water 1'44"
9. No. 2 10'45"
francia Dalok (samuel Beckett Verseire)
french Songs (on Poems By Samuel Beckett) 12'13"
10. I. folyam / Flux / Flowing 2'05"
11. Ii. képzeld El / Imagine 2'32"
12. Iii. lépésrõl Lépésre / Pas À Pas / Step By Step 1'13"
13. Iv. halott / Morte / Dead 1'29"
14. V. honnan / D'où / Where From 2'29"
15. Vi. hallgasd / Écoute / Listen 2'24"
16. Miniatûrök / Miniatures 13'15"

Performers:

Miklos Sugar – composer, conductor
Agnes Szakaly – cimbalon, electronics
Zsuzsa Skoff – soprano, electronics
Istvan Matuz – flute
Laszlo Polgar – bass
Zoltan Gyöngyössy – flute
Andras Gorn – clarinet
Akos Acs – bass clarinet
Marta Zs. Szabo – violin
Laszlo Kozma – guitar
Gabor Eckhardt – piano
Balasz Kantor – cello, electronics

Intermodulacio Chamber Ensemble – Laszlo Tihanyi