[.ca] Music For Egon Schiele

From Amazon.com:
Originally performed as a live accompaniment for a 1995 theater-dance production about the life of painter Egon Schiele, this is the both the exception to the Rachel's rule and their defining moment. Though they are normally a three-headed, multiperson new-music and classical ensemble centered around Jason Noble (ex-Rodan), Christian Frederickson, and Rachel Grimes, this suite was written entirely by Grimes and performed by Grimes (on piano), Frederickson (viola), and cellist Wendy Doyle. As always, the music (not to mention the letter-pressed packaging) is spellbinding; the fact that this is classical music by--and for--people who grew up on indie rock in no way diminishes it, nor does it make the music too low-brow for those with a classical background. For a more complete picture of what the entire Rachel's ensemble is capable of, both Handwriting and The Sea and the Bells are recommended. --Randy Silver

chamber music:
A very, very "traditional" album from the Rachel's. On the upside, the tempered pace and quiet arrangements make for an album that plays like the slow parts of a Brahms. There is an (almost self-conscious) filter on this album that keeps things at a rather "ambient" pace, although there are a few flashes. On the downside, the ambient pacing is probably the most "experimental" aspect of this album. There is not much electronica or sampling that the Rachel's have proved themselves so good at in their other albums. If you're not in the right mood, the rather minimal tonal range -- mostly same-key, mostly returning -- might annoy. Probably the album diametrically opposite to Systems/Layers.

austrian malcontents in border regions:
I went to the Egon Shiele Museum in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic recently and they had this video monitor constantly showing a small biographical film of him produced in the early eighties and the music was terrible. It was like video-synth-production-type music. I kept wishing it was the Rachel's music playing instead.

Very,very fine!:
It just has nothing to do with post-rock or the groups like EXPLOSION IN THE SKY,MOGWAI or GODSPEED YOUR BLACK EMPEROR.I would recommend to Amazon.com to put it together with THE PENGUIN CAFE ORCHESTRA,which is stylistically similar to RACHEL'S music.Great music!

Lost in time:
Afternoon sun slashed the polished maple planks and crept over my stockinged feet flopped over the taupe leather arm of my chesterfield as I glanced from a Tintin comic. Music for Egon Schiele plunked quietly if discordantly in the background reminding me of Satie and making me feel guilty, at that particular instant of a luxuriant weekend, for not tackling James Joyce's Ulysses instead.

I'm head over heels for this album:
This album is simply overwhelming that it's so incredibly amazing. 5 stars isn't suitable...it should be an infinite amount of stars. I mean, I'm trying not to sounds cliche, but this is definetly my favorite album to date. It's hard to fathom that such a masterpiece could be created. The melodies can be so so sweet and also tragically grieving, which i have noticed is a kind of signature to the band. You'll be out of breath after listening to it, and it's hard not to stop playing it. It's terribly addicting. Yet certain songs are so serene and calm that your blood will be still and you'll feel weightless. Just amazing...incredible. Buy this album if you like great music. I don't even own anything close to this genre, if you can call it that, and I still fell head over heels for it.

• Family Portrait
• Egon & Gertie
• First Self-Portrait Series
• Mime Van Osen
• Second Self-Portrait Series
• Wally, Egon, & Models in the Studio
• Promenade
• Third Self-Portrait Series
• Egon, Edith & Wally Meet
• Egon & Wally Embrace & Say Fareewell
• Egon & Edith
• Second Family Portrait