East Off Europe - Closing the Circle

Boris Kovac's second album for the Canadian label Disques Victo, East Off Europe: Closing the Circle ranks among the best musical achievements of his career. This cycle is clearly related to his previous album Anamnesis: Ecumenical Mysteries. One finds a similar instrumentation (violin, clarinet, saxophone, double bass, piano, voice), the same chamber music meets tradition meets modernity approach. But this time Kovac took the recipe to a new level of emotional power. Split into three parts, "Visible Side," "Invisible Side," and "Finale," this cycle gains strength through the use of a leitmotiv, a simple but very dramatic melodic and rhythmical motif. It has the effect of a calling bell: each time it appears the listener's attention is refocused. The contrasts between quiet and powerful, pastoral and dark are enhanced by a wonderful comprehension of dynamics — you can do a lot with only a bass drum for percussion. The soprano Jaroslava Benka Vlcek gets a smaller role on this album, but it gives more impact to her presence in the second movement of "Invisible Side" and in the "Finale." Once again, comparisons would have to be drawn with the chamber music of Ligeti and the dark side of Rock in Opposition (Univers Zero, Art Zoyd). Moreover it is crucial to understand that Kovac's music does not belong to classical music, rock music, or even instrumental music, nor does it fit into a particular time period. Beautifully timeless and moving, East Off Europe: Closing the Circle can be a revelation to any open-minded music lover. ~ François Couture, Rovi