One of the more intriguing concepts in improvised performance, "Maldoror" is a set of ten improvisations for solo cello inspired by the poetic novel LES CHANTS DE MALDOROR by Comte de Lautreamont. Producer Michael Montes selected evocative passages which were placed in front of cellist Erik Friedlander, who improvised based on the passages in front of him.

I have to confess only limited familiarity with the source material, apparently it is a surrealist examination of good and evil and was a strong influence on Surrealist and Dada art movements, but an impression of the material can be found excerpted in the liner notes for this release. For any unfamiliar with Erik Friedlander, he is an extraordinary virtuoso cellist with that rare gift of being able to slide into any number of environments, equally adept at composition, interperetation and improvisation. Best known for his association with downtown New York figurehead John Zorn and as a member of the Masada String Trio, Friedlander also has a nice body of solo works. Perhaps the greatest of Friedlander's gifts on the instrument, moreso than technical skill, is his ability to convey emotion through is instrument.

Nowhere is this more readily apparent then opener "May It Please Heaven"-- a high evocative exposition on darkness, of a feeling of dark foreboding for what follows. Reading the associated passage, one can be certain this was the goal. As the album continues, Friedlander displays an extraordinary diversity in his performance, equally able in pizzicato and arco, whether putting forth a gentle insistence (pizzicato "O Stern Mathematics", gently fingerplucked in a style reminiscent of classical guitar), frantic, extended cello technique excursions ("Here Comes the Madwoman"), or bleak, minimalist drones ("I am Filthy").

One thing that should be clear, while the performance throughout is superb, it is quite avant-garde. Melody is rarely assertive throughout this record and while I don't necessarily consider that a bad thing, it can make this a difficult listen. Friedlander would follow this album up several years later with another solo cello record (Block Ice & Propane), that one is quite a bit easier to digest for the fainter of heart.

Nonetheless, "Maldoror" is an intriguing and powerful portrait-- it grabs your attention and invariably does not let go. Recommended.

"Maldoror" is a unique concept, producer Michael Montes put text rom Comte de Lautreamont in front of Friedlander-- the master cellist read the text and improvised what he saw. The results are nothing short of breathtaking.

If you're not familiar with Friedlander's work with John Zorn and others, you're likely in for quite a pleasant surprise-- I can think of very few musicians I have had the pleasure of hearing who possess such a stunning command of their instrument as Friedlander does. His technique is overwhelming, particularly in pizzicato, and as an improviser, he is agile and inventive. These lead to the great strength of this record, namely that Friedlander can through his technique express something much more visceral than one would expect from any musical performance.

The improvisations are largely oriented on texture and space, whether arco or pizzicato-- each note counts, as does each lack of note. Friedlander may have an overwhelming technique, but what makes both him and this recording brilliant is his ability to make decisions about when to show it and when not to. "The Wind Groans", for example, is better served by long tones and understated delivery, to meet the mood of the piece he read, then it is by any show of powerful playing.

For fans of improvised music and virtuoso performance, this album is essential. Highly recommended.

I bought this because I saw a piece on Erik and this record in the Wire, a magazine I really trust. And though it's not the kind of thing I usually pick up, I love Maldoror. It consists of dark and atmospheric cello scraping, bowing, plucking, and pulling -- all improvised. I know, I know, it sounds like it'd be really weird and inaccessible, but there's something about Friedlander's sense of melody, his technique, and his ability to compose on the fly that makes this a record a classy little thing. It makes me think of dark moments, French films, and John Coltrane's best work. Try it. You'll like it.