FALTER   english

The program FALTER comes from the newest solo CD composed and played by Barbara Schirmer. The music tells about the beauty and the unpredictable force of
the mountains. The musician says: „The ringing of cow bells in the Alps is for me a stunning variety of melodies“. These experiences create an imaginary trip through her inner musical landscapes and poetic spheres with their very special language, vision and identity.
 
In the FALTER Project Barbara Schirmer collaborates with the extraordinary Cellist, Carlo Niederhauser. The two musicians frequently like walking on a tightrope between traditional and modern music. The compositions are based on written musical topics far away from mainstream. In an exciting dialogue the two skip stylistic boundaries with great pleasure. By listening deeply into the music they create something astonishing. They open a surprising space for unexpected stories and touch with their music the sensory behind the habits.

The hammered dulcimer is a very special instrument from the Swiss Alps - earthy, innovative, and played to the highest standard by Barbara Schirmer.
Barbara Schirmer is a virtuoso hammered dulcimer player with roots in the Alps of Switzerland (Appenzell). Her father played this wonderful instrument. Therefore she grew up with this very special music tradition from the Swiss mountains. But her curiosity led her into new musical dimensions.
She conjures up new and original sounds on the hammered dulcimer by, for example, playing with little bows, Chinese chopsticks, cowhorns or using glasses to make the strings cry out. Unique worldwide is her 4 stick technique. Inspired by the marimbaphone, she invented and mastered this unique way of playing the hammered dulcimer. "This dulcimer revolutionarily uses the instrument to produce captivating music that will make you tingle." (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)
She performs as a soloist as well as in various groups, and is well known far beyond Switzerland.: e.x. in several European countries, as well as in Japan, China, Korea, Iran, Senegal, the US., Kuba and Mexico. Various TV and radio channels portrayed the artist.

Carlo Niederhauser is a versatile cellist far from stilistic standards. The long-term cooperation with the composer Don Li and the musicians from „Orbital Garden“ shaped his music sustainably. Together with Werner Hasler he does intensive musical research work in combination with live-cinematic art in 360°. In bands like «KapDruhad» or «Orieca» he plays with elements of folk, jazz and flamenco. With Barbara Schirmer he loves  exploring the wide empire of polyrhythmics and likes to range between musical themes and improvisation.
 Musical collaborations have taken him through Europe and America.

The CD is nominated for the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik 2018

01 La Quinceañera
In Latin America the 15th birthday is an important event. The girl becomes a woman.
The composition with its 15/8 rhythm is an homage to women's maturity. 
 
02 s'Glüüt
The ringing of the cow bells in the Alps is for me a stunning variety of melodies.
 
03 Nüüt
This composition originated from Swiss dialect texts from Andreas Neeser for the project "Nüüt ond anders Züüg" (nothing and other stuff).
 
04 Pulsar 15
A far away star in a huge rhythmic space of Fifteen.
 
05 A1 Aarau West - Aarau Ost
To move around in Aargau with the dulcimer means often: drive on the (freeway) A1, pushing and shoving by rain, stop and go in a snow storm, get stock in traffic jam at sunset, cool runnings in the moonshine.
 
06 Falter
A delicate creature, always there, where you do not expect it.
Moth, moth, of old  – all shall unfold
 
07 Kater Tosh
Was a pretty ugly tomcat, who hated closed doors and had seven lives.
 
08 Mare
Once I was living for a short time with my dulcimer directly on the ocean, went swimming, came out, played dulcimer, went swimming, came out, played dulcimer …. endlessly.
 
09 Hackbrett Chuebanner
A Cuban Rumba melody, played with dulcimer and cow horn.
 
10 Wieder unterwegs
I love to be on the move – again and again – packed in the Yenish luggage its doubt and confidence.
 
11 Tümpel
Fragments of the theme 'Frogs' from Keiko Abbe meet other sounds from the pond
 
12 Atem
(Breath) by far-sightedness in the mountains and in the tunnel.
 
13 Storchenflug
When in the fall the wafts of mist emerge, the storks sally forth to Africa and with them all my longing to be far away.
 
14 Chöschele
Whispering in Swiss dialect.