Heiner Goebbels & Alfred 23 Harth - Goebbels Heart (1981-84)

Experimental composer and director Heiner Goebbels was born in Neustadt, Germany, on August 17, 1952, relocating to the Frankfurt area at age 20 to study music and sociology. He first achieved recognition in 1976 upon premiering a number of works, including Rote Sonne, Circa, and Improvisations on Themes by Hanns Eisler, most performed in conjunction with the Sogenanntes Linksradikales Blasorchester. Concurrently, Goebbels also collaborated with Alfred 23 Harth and, beginning in 1982, he served as a member of the longstanding art rock trio Cassiber. He further expanded his growing oeuvre with a series of theatrical, film, and ballet scores, and during the mid-'80s began writing and directing audio plays of his own, seeking his initial inspiration in the texts of Heiner Mueller. His theatrical and musical works have won numerous awards across Europe.

"Goebbels Heart is a kind of compilation disc, pulling together portions of early-'80s recordings by this duo originally released on the small German label Riskant. At this point in his career, Goebbels (who would later release more atmospheric and experimental albums on ECM) seems to be very much under the influence of composers such as Carla Bley, including the utilization of European workers' songs (Hanns Eisler here). Goebbels plays mostly keyboards, both acoustic and electric, while Harth (yes, the '23' is part of his taken name) wields various reeds. Though occasionally multi-tracked, there's an enticing spareness to the album, with Harth's soprano work sounding especially wistful.

In the second section (tracks six through 16), vocals are performed with alternating angst and bombast by Dagmar Krause and Ernst Stötzner, using texts by Bertolt Brecht. Two of the final three pieces, recorded three years after the others, are more abstract affairs with stuttering melodic material and found tapes. But the last composition, 'Peking-Oper', is the highlight of the disc, based on samples of 20th century Chinese revolutionary opera, which are lovingly abused, twisted, and augmented into a new beast entirely. Interestingly, the Goebbels/Harth piece itself was sampled a decade later by Otomo Yoshihide for his album Revolutionary Pekinese Opera.

Listeners who came to know Goebbels' work from his subsequent ECM discs will enjoy hearing his early roots on this hard to find recording."

(Brian Olewnick, allmusic)


Alfred 23 Harth: soprano, alto & tenor saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet, trombone, trumpet, percussion, etc.
Heiner Goebbels: piano, synthesizer, cembalo, organ, harmonium, soprano saxophone, cello, chinese violin, guitar, bouzouki, electric bass, percussion, rhythm machine, etc.
with
Dagmar Krause: vocals (3,9,12,15)
Ernst Stötzner: voice (6-8,10,11,13-16)

Tracklist:

1. Berlin, Q-Damm 12.4.81 (5'09)
2. Indianer für morgen (2'23)
3. Dunkle Wolk (4'57)
4. Kein Kriegsspielzeug für Jonathan (4'15)
5. Über den Selbstmord (2'45)
6. Tagesanbruch (4'27)
7. Ich, Bertolt Brecht (1'19)
8. Abbau des Schiffes Oskawa durch die Mannschaft (6'26)
9. Es lebt eine Gräfin in schwedischem Land (2'04)
10. Die Vögel warten im Winter vor dem Fenster (2'57)
11. Apfelböck oder Die Lilie auf dem Felde (3'36)
12. Der Pflaumenbaum (1'39)
13. Liedchen aus alter Zeit (0'37)
14. Sonett (1'26)
15. Deutsches Lied (1'27)
16. 1940 (Ich befinde mich auf dem Inselchen Lidingö) (3'39)
17. Die Reise nach Aschenfeld (5'51)
18. Paradies und Hölle können eine Stadt sein (4'44)
19. Peking-Oper (15'56)


All music composed by Heiner Goebbels & Alfred 23 Harth, exc.
1 by Heiner Goebbels,
5 by Hanns Eisler,
lyrics to 4 by Johannes Werlin,
lyrics to 6-16 by Bertolt Brecht.


Compilation from the following LP's:

1-5: Der durchdrungene Mensch - Indianer für Morgen (Riskant, 1981). Recorded and mixed by Etienne Connod and Robert Vogel at Sunrise Studios, Kirchberg, Switzerland and by Heiner Goebbels (August 1981).

6-16: Bertolt Brecht: Zeit Wird Knapp (Tonstudio Zuckerfabrik, 1981). Produced by Joachim-Ernst Behrendt. Idea and text selection by J.E.B. Recorded and mixed August-October 1981 at Tonstudio Zuckerfabrik, Stuttgart by Gibbs Platen.

17-19: Frankfurt - Peking (Riskant, 1984). Recorded by Walter Brüssow and Bernhard Klein, mixed by Büdi Siebert, Heiner Goebbels and Walter Brüssow at Trion Sound Studio, Frankfurt (September 1984).

Heiner Goebbels & Alfred 23 Harth - Goebbels Heart (1981-84)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Thanks a lot to Mr. Lucky!