Promoting the Bagpipe Revival since 1986
The Bagpipe Society
Review: L'Art de la Cornemuse by Eric Montbel
This edition is from our archives, so it is presented as scanned pages rather than text.
L’Art de la Cornemuse, Eric Montbel; Arion ARN 36796
A brand new addition to Arion’s L’Art de … series from one of the great exponents of bagpipes from the central part of France. Side One contains six tracks of simple but imaginative arrangements of traditional waltzes, bourrees, schottishes, polkas and airs using different sizes of cornemuse Bourbonnais and chabrette Limousin accompanied, here and there, by violin, hurdy-gurdy, accordeon and percussion. The detailed sleeve notes (in ‘French) give ample information about the music and background information on the various types of central French bagpipes. More interestingly though, Eric Montbel takes the opportunity to describe the three periods of development of French bagpipes. The 17th and 18th centuries, the period from the middle of the 19th century up to the Second World War and, most importantly, the modern period, the revival which started in the 1970s.
Side Two of the record is devoted to the French bagpipes as an instrument for the 1980s. Five self-composed pieces for bagpipes with largely electronic accompaniment. (Synthesisers, bass guitar and drum machine). Bagpipe records are normally exercises in re-hashing traditional or idiomatically traditional music and it is very refreshing to see Eric Montbel confidently striving for innovation. The results are not totally successful, ‘Cinema’ ends up sounding like background soundtrack material for a dull but worthy film but ‘Dancing Fairy’ (hate the title Eric), ‘Train de Nuit’ and ‘Calme’ are superb fusions of the distinctive bagpipe sound and, for the want of a better word, jazz-rock. There is something here, traditional and modern, good music, well played, recorded, and arranged. The Arion label is widely distributed in Britain, so you can order this record from any decent record shop.
Paul James
BLOWZABELLA
MARA!
ROSBIF
FESTIVAL 1986
CONCERTS: DANCE: WORKSHOPS
Newbury. SEPT. 5 ~ 6 ~ 7
S.A.E: PAUL JAMES. TILTHAMS, GUILDFORD RD.. GODALMING, SURREY.
Special rates for Baggpipe Society Members!
The
YORK
WAITS
Renaissance Town Band
THE YORK WAITS (£5, p+p 40p) &
THE MEDIEVAL STREET BAND (£4-50, p+p 40p)
Renaissance and medieval music played on Shawms, Curtals, Crumhorns, Recorders, Trumpets, Hurdy-gurdy, and various bagpipes from: James Merryweather, Biology Dept., University of York, Heslington, YORK, YO1 5DD.
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