Traditional gypsy music & free improvisations. Live recordings of their amazing underground concerts.

18 MP3 Songs
WORLD: Eastern European, WORLD: World Fusion



Details:
"Thanks for An Hour in Heaven" - these were the words - quietly spoken - of a visitor after our concert on 26th March 2005. He bowed slightly and shook our hands. After our concerts we always get many enthusiastic comments. We decided to take this one to make it the title of our next CD.

You are invited to be part of the audience this music was performed for: sweet, raw, fiery, live recordings from the concerts with the Paganini Duo from 2004-2007 at the Cathedral Chamber, a large underground limestone cave, part of the Jenolan Caves in Australia, reputed for its perfect acoustics.

On the program are the traditional Gypsy tunes and dances from Hungary, Romania and Russia. Added to these are spontaneous improvisations, bursting of energy.

Most recordings today are a puzzle of little pieces, each one modified and corrected in detail. This recording is the opposite. The recording are straight, uncorrected episodes from their concerts. The emphasis lies on the energy and ambience of the performance, little mistakes remained.

The caves carry an incredible mood, an underground limestone chamber, 56m (170 feet) high, cut off from any outside noise, silent and with a strong response, encouraging to play out.

Georg says about the compositions:
"The compositions speak for themselves. A comment should be made to the 'Underground Improvisations'. We have a tradition that we agree upon, who starts and what will be the last note. Everything else is left to chance - luck and accident. For us it is an adrenalin journey into the unknown, enjoying total spontaneity. Every time it turns out completely different. People don't believe there is no preconceived structure, but there isn't. We know each other well and we never practice the improvisation; we hardly even talk about it - it would take the pepper and salt out of it. We need the audience as a stimulant to make it work."

German born cellist/guitarist, Georg Mertens and Polish born violinist, Gustaw Szelski are both classically trained. Mertens is a virtuoso of cello and guitar, trained at the prestigious Staatliche Hochschule fuer Musik in Freiburg / Germany. He has played and also conducted at hundreds of concerts across Europe. Szelski trained at the Sydney Conservatorium and has played in many of the great Australian orchestras and as back up for artists as diverse as Frank Sinatra, John Denver, Shirley Bassey, Marcia Hines and The Little River Band.
They performed together since 1989 in various ensembles, including The Winbourne String Quartet, The Blue Mountains Trio with pianist Gavin Tipping (with which they had great success for their CD ' Music For Grand Dining') and The Tarantella Trio. As The Paganini Duo they released in 1997 their first CD 'Blue Mountains Gypsies'. Georg had also released a solo cello CD 'Music at Jenolan Caves' a solo guitar CD 'Classical Guitar - Re issued' and a Duo CD with recorder virtuoso Jodie Goldney, 'Sounds of Timber'.

Concerts with the Paganini Duo are continuing on every 4th Saturday of the month in exactly the same cave these recordings have been made.
You find all details on the linked website: www.georgcello.com

*** The CD launch will take place 1st September 2007 4pm at Jenolan Caves

The program of the CD launch will be repeated on Sunday 16th September 4pm on request of the TV Channel 7 for their program "The Great Outdoors".