Vol. 2, No. 3
To see a landscape as it is when I am not there
Vol. 2, No. 3
An extended composition by Noah Ophoven-Baldwin performed by an expanded lineup of the Minneapolis-based band Realtree.
Dear Reader,
I am pleased to share the second release on Empty Stage from the intrepid Minneapolis-based band Realtree. This recording features the core members of the original quintet joined by five other Twin-Cities based musicians — performing an hour long composition by bandleader Noah Ophoven-Baldwin. Noah says the following about this composition:
“To see a landscape as it is when I am not there" is a composition for double quintet. The music is derived from field recordings of the Swainson's Thrush, a forest songbird. Its title is a quotation from Simone Weil's Gravity and Grace (Routledge 2002), specifically, a passage reflecting on the self's relation to place. Weil refers to our inability ever to see the world without the effects of our own presence.
In the piece, the thrush song stretches and condenses across instruments, reflecting and expanding the bird-call as the melody moves from instrument to instrument."
When I first had the chance to listen to this recording, I was struck by the distinct character of its pacing and phrasing. The balance of sounding and silence maintains throughout, but within the sounding phrases there is a kind of insistant, fresh energy to each of them. This isn’t to say that rhetorical or gestural tricks are the means to achieving this liveliness — it is the matter-of-factness of each sonic contribution which invites the listener to reckon with unexpected details and qualities which emerge throughout. I admire how this work drew upon a natural source (the thrush song) and created a distinct musical interpretation of it which transmitted something inherent to the vocalizations of the bird without resorting to direct mimickry or poetic romanticisation.
For those unfamiliar with Realtree’s work, I would implore you to seek out their other releases including “Shake the Hourglass About” and “Splendor Falls on Everything Around Us.” Each constituent member of Realtree has their own interesting and distinct work and I would encourage anyone unfamiliar with these Twin-Cities musicians and artists to explore a bit.
Realtree is:
Jay Afrisando, laptop
Mark Engelmann, clarinet
Laura Harada, violin
Michelle Kinney, cello
Patrick Marschke, laptop
Luke Martin, guitar
Carley Olson, clarinet
Noah Ophoven-Baldwin, cornet, composition
Max Wanderman, accordion
Adam Zahller, guitar
This album was recorded by Patrick Marschke, mixed by Noah Ophoven-Baldwin, and was mastered by Hiroyuki Ura.
I am pleased to share the second release on Empty Stage from the intrepid Minneapolis-based band Realtree. This recording features the core members of the original quintet joined by five other Twin-Cities based musicians — performing an hour long composition by bandleader Noah Ophoven-Baldwin. Noah says the following about this composition:
“To see a landscape as it is when I am not there" is a composition for double quintet. The music is derived from field recordings of the Swainson's Thrush, a forest songbird. Its title is a quotation from Simone Weil's Gravity and Grace (Routledge 2002), specifically, a passage reflecting on the self's relation to place. Weil refers to our inability ever to see the world without the effects of our own presence.
In the piece, the thrush song stretches and condenses across instruments, reflecting and expanding the bird-call as the melody moves from instrument to instrument."
When I first had the chance to listen to this recording, I was struck by the distinct character of its pacing and phrasing. The balance of sounding and silence maintains throughout, but within the sounding phrases there is a kind of insistant, fresh energy to each of them. This isn’t to say that rhetorical or gestural tricks are the means to achieving this liveliness — it is the matter-of-factness of each sonic contribution which invites the listener to reckon with unexpected details and qualities which emerge throughout. I admire how this work drew upon a natural source (the thrush song) and created a distinct musical interpretation of it which transmitted something inherent to the vocalizations of the bird without resorting to direct mimickry or poetic romanticisation.
For those unfamiliar with Realtree’s work, I would implore you to seek out their other releases including “Shake the Hourglass About” and “Splendor Falls on Everything Around Us.” Each constituent member of Realtree has their own interesting and distinct work and I would encourage anyone unfamiliar with these Twin-Cities musicians and artists to explore a bit.
Realtree is:
Jay Afrisando, laptop
Mark Engelmann, clarinet
Laura Harada, violin
Michelle Kinney, cello
Patrick Marschke, laptop
Luke Martin, guitar
Carley Olson, clarinet
Noah Ophoven-Baldwin, cornet, composition
Max Wanderman, accordion
Adam Zahller, guitar
This album was recorded by Patrick Marschke, mixed by Noah Ophoven-Baldwin, and was mastered by Hiroyuki Ura.
The record is available for listening and purchase HERE
℗ & © 2025
Empty Stage Journal & Records
Chicago, Illinois