Inside Out U.S.
2000
Ballett 2
About This Album
Like the other three Ballett albums, Ballett 2 was first released in 2000 as part of the ten-CD box set Contemporary Works 1 and later reissued as a single CD in Revisited's career-encompassing reissue program (number 87 in that series). Klaus Schulze composed the Ballett cycle for his mother, who used to be a ballet dancer. Ballett 2 is a continuous, 74-minute piece in four segueing movements. "Atmosphère Concrète" starts off in a disquieting and rather abstract mood. Schulze has never been known for doing musique concrète -- his first solo LP, Irrlicht, was definitely abstract, and he often pushed his music into experimental territories, but he never openly delved into Pierre Schaeffer's heritage and lineage. However, "Atmosphère Concrète" (at eight minutes) does, indeed, evoke a concrète atmosphere, with lots of textural sounds, found sounds, and the voice and flute of Thomas Kagermann. The piece eventually resolves on the theme of "Kagi's Lament," a slow-paced, introspective dirge. The arpeggiated keyboard arrangements give the piece a certain Jean Michel Jarre feel. The "lament" mood is marvelously pinned down and there is no denying the piece's sorrowful beauty, but it runs out of ideas long before it reaches its 30-minute mark.
Track List (try tracks 1 and 5)

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