I found the following review for the Tzadik album Force of Light by Dan Kaufman :
is this indeed a recommendable album ?
The poetry of Celan seems not an easy read and a bit hermetic ... what are your thoughts on this ? how to approach such a distinct writing ? Should I read some background info first on Celan ?
review :
"Force of Light is homage to Holocaust survivor and poet Paul Celan. It was developed over a period of three years including several of just doing research on the poet himself. Barbez founder, Dan Kaufman went to Berlin to conduct this research and found him not only investigating Celan's experiences but dealing with solitude and the Holocaust as well. The result of all this painstaking research and emotion is an album which is deeply moving.
With parts of Celan's poetry scattered throughout the album, the album plays like a conglomeration of several scenes set by each mention of his poetry. The words and feelings set the tone for each piece and Barbez's musical experimentalism takes over. The songs here are epic dirges and ambient moaning that covers a wide spectrum of music. From string laden ballads that feel like requiems to almost Latin flavored dirges, Force of Light is a very interesting sounding record.
Force of Light is eloquent, mournful, loving, and very emotive with out very much being said. The album is a stirring tribute to one of the 20th century's greatest poet. The songs and feelings on this record are crafted to the highest levels and the sounds that emanate throughout are haunting and persuasive. It's as if Celan was sitting next to Barbez as they created this record. His spirit is all over the sounds of Force of Light, it’s as if he guided them as to how each song should sound. There's no more fitting tribute than that."
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