On A Clearing, Berlin based Sarah Saviet (violin), and Joseph Houston (piano) superbly exemplify how much can be done artistically with very little. Consisting of five pieces of widely varying duration and, as best as I can tell, one take recordings without processing or further treatment, there is a multitude of sounds and textures to be had, emanating from just two instruments.
Both Saviet and Houston, at times, take somewhat unconventional approaches to their instruments, but it is rarely unclear who is making what sounds. The instruments are sonically naked at the opening of "Lines, Spaces," with an intentionally erratic stop/start structure that drew my focus immediately. Utilizing the gaps, and then shifting into a playful call and response segment, the evolving dynamics also make clear the depth and quality of the recording and mastering. As the piece concludes, it shifts into more muted, idiosyncratic performances and closing on elongated tones and notes from both.
For "Now We Are Here" the mood is more consistent, emphasizing drawn out string tones and more traditional, although sparse piano playing to accompany. While it may be more conventional and traditional in the approach, it nicely balances out the following "Onager." Clocking in at under two minutes, it is a barrage of rapid strings and piano, with the two playing with far more intensity than what preceded it, before coming to a lighter, gentle conclusion.
On "Twining," there is again a playfulness via plucked notes and occasionally erratic dynamics. At times the playing becomes somewhat chaotic but never overpowering. Instead, it leads to significant variations in sound and the use of space, with Saviet's violin entering shrill, scraping territories and Houston's high register piano playing mimicking a music box. The 20+ minute conclusion of "Unfoldings" brings most of these elements back together into a single epic-length performance. The duo work through expanding and expansive tones that shift and stretch, and their individual playing takes on a rich, layered tonal sound. At times the interplay between the instruments sounds like something else entirely, like woodwinds or electronics, but is just expertise in performance.
Normally I would find this type of stripped-down recording difficult to write about. Regardless of how I felt about the actual content, it simply can become too difficult to think of enough words to describe what I hear. That’s certainly not the case on A Clearing. The duo’s playing of their instruments, as well as their sonic interactions with each other give an added depth and level of variation that belies its overall simple construction, resulting in a compelling work across its five very different compositions.
