CD Feature/ Trio Bravo+: "Menschen am Sonntag"

Around 2002, Trio Bravo+ accepted the bid to compose a new soundtrack to the  German silent movie „Menschen am Sonntag“. This classic one by Robert Siodmak and Billy Wilder from 1929 is acclaimed as a „jutting work of German silent movie avantgarde“ (Deutsches Film-Institut). To be honest: I never saw this movie and cannot appraise whether this musical piece fits to the scenes on the screen – moreover I don’t know if you will have the chance of simultaneous pleasure. Total time CD: 57 minutes – total time movie: 74 minutes. So this review will only deal with the music alone – detached from its cineatic context.  But first of all: who are Trio Bravo+?

The trio – which is strictly speaking a quartet – was formed in 1995 by the Ukrainians Mark Chaet (violin) and Sergej Sweschinskij (double bass), added by the Bulgarian pianist Svetoslav Karparov and the Polish „live wire“ Adam Tomaszewski (marimba and percussion). Their own virtuosic style sprung out of the interpretation of traditional East-European music.

Back to the CD on hand: you will find 18 skteches on it – in general not longer than 2 and a half minutes and entitled „Träume“ („Dreams“), „Rendez-Vous“, „Querelen“ („Qaurrel“) or „Sorgen am Morgen“ („Worries in the morning“). The margin of musical styles is big and includes Vaudevill, Waltz, piano tippings in all emotional circumstances and percussional paintings. When you want to see it from a malicious point of view you could say this is old fashioned music, full of clichees but the longer you listen to this album you get the idea behind it: it’s an obeisance of the old school of silent movie music which was totally dictated by the plot of the movie. Every song is bubbling over with joy, playfulness and esprit even when the title pushes the sorrow-button. So, the music can function on its own completely and doesn’t need the movie as a foil though I bet that watching the movie and listening to the CD simultaneously will be a special moment.

All in all we have 57 minutes of non-austere and twinkle-toed music that will put a grin on your face. And isn’t that great?

By Mirko Uhlig

Homepage: Trio Bravo+
Homepage: "Menschen am Sonntag" at the Deutsche Filminstitut