Ballett 3

by François CoutureFirst released by Rainhorse Records in 2000 as part of the Contemporary Works I box set, Ballett 3, like the whole Ballett project, was given its autonomous release in 2007. While Ballett 2 featured four different and contrasting movements, Ballett 3 consists of a monolithic work, the 75-minute "My Ty She." Ballett 2 had its strong and weak moments, the latter mostly due to overly stretched-out ideas; however, this third installment features poorer material, the only novelty being Julia Messenger's (mostly) wordless singing reigning over the whole track. Other contributors include Wolfgang Tiepold and his trusty cello (a mainstay throughout the Ballett series) and Thomas Kagermann on violin, flute, and vocals. These musicians' interventions appear to be half scored, half improvised, and always somewhat randomly placed in the course of the piece. "My Ty She" never really shifts gears, staying on the same heading from start to finish, although there is a somewhat gradual dynamic buildup peaking with the appearance of a programmed beat around the 60th minute. Yet, that is not enough to drive the piece anywhere, since everything else in it is too stationary. Schulze has always been fond of long durations, but "My Ty She" lacks the variety that can make such a long duration rewarding. As a result, Ballett 3 is the weakest album of the four-part project. Furthermore, the Revisited reissue adds a short bonus track, "Schauer der Vorwelt," that is totally out of character with the mood of the main piece. A dancefloor romp with animal grunts and female screams, this track would be a better fit for a Wahnfried CD (Trance Appeal, for instance), where it would be interesting. Included here, it becomes irritating or even offensive, since it shatters the atmosphere Schulze has so stubbornly stuck too for one hour and 15 minutes.