Rolf Schimmermann — Oestrogeneties I - VII

A book publisher friend of mine said about these piano pieces, "they are of light elegance, I like that, just like in literature, really great, they remind me in the best way of Erik Satie". I agree with him, as a music journalist I want to branch out a bit more.

In an interview I read Schimmermann's statement that the name "Oestrogeneties" came to his mind when he wanted to set a counterpoint to the coldness of feeling in contemporary jazz. More female parts in the music, the beautiful and soulful, not the complicated, faster, stronger and longer. The connection to Erik Satie, he says, consists only in his love for the bizarre naming of pieces.

When it smells of feeling, it becomes critical in certain musical circles. This has to do with the macho attitude in male-dominated contemporary jazz music. The writer is not interested in this and she knows that the absence of this hormone can cause sweating, hot flushes and depressions and make it impossible for new life to germinate.

The "Oestrogeneties 1-7" are interestingly constructed. Minimalistically repetitive the substructure, tectonically the top. Small particles are reminiscent of Chick Corea's "Children's Songs", a piece with a two-chord sequence reminds of Bill Evans, who in turn used Leonard Bernstein.

But the force of the personal style is enormous. The number three is my favorite at the moment. It's a standout piece. It's incredibly hypnotic. Starts with the highest and lowest key in unison. The terrain is set. What unfolds after that: A masterpiece! This goes deep. Yes - also emotionally.

As tricky as the construction is, the depth of focus is maintained. The repetitive minimalism draws the furrows of the field, the fruits smell wonderful, the taste is the zone where the hormone is most active.

Nuanced, poetic, detailed, refined and slightly elegant!

Contemporary piano music at its finest: ecstatic!

The numbers 1-7 will be continued in the numbers 8-14. Together with Roli Mosimann.