Berlin-based neoclassical pianist Nils Frahm has, along with his Icelandic buddy Ólafur Arnalds, become something of a poster boy for the revival of the piano in the world of contemporary classicism. Studio records such as ‘The Bells’ and ‘Felt’ have received the bulk of their acclaim in the mainstream ‘indie’ music press, although an acknowledgement of this is certainly not meant to belittle Frahm’s exceptional talent.
It is live where Frahm truly stands out and ‘Spaces’ is his attempt to document this. On the 11 tracks collected here he improvises his way through new and old compositions alike, displaying a restlessness with convention that should impress any who feel his studio output is too closely connected to the minimalist strain of classical piano music that has existed for over half a century. Live, Frahm emphasises the electronic and experimental sides of his sound far more effectively.
Although he is often painted as such by publications that tend to steer clear of brazen rule-breaking, Frahm is more than just a writer of pretty little piano pieces. The obvious combination of hope and melancholy identifiable in many of his works is a cover for some of his more interesting playing.
The slow, steady rise of synth above clattering piano in Said And Done, or the urgency with which Frahm pounds the keys following the dissolution of the synths in spacey epic For - Peter - Toilet Brushes - More, hint at a far more developed musical vision than he is often given credit for.
The use of dynamics is, in fact, contemporary and original enough to see him not just as part of a new minimalist movement but as a part of a new modern classical avant-garde, one which has learned to make its experiments accessible to listeners of all stripes and musical backgrounds.
That is not to say that ‘Spaces’ is universally successful, or that Frahm is a shockingly unique composer, but it is to say that both he and this record are very much of their time. Frahm’s music is an eloquent love letter to the hallmarks of all great piano classicism, from the affecting strains of Chopin to the provocative prepared piano of Cage, but it’s been filtered through a new lens, one which makes it not only highly listenable but also extremely interesting.
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