09/23/2023
Storvan/An deiziou kaer/Keltia Musique/1997
Personnel:
Christian LeMaitre: violin and guitar
Franck Le Bloas: bouzouki and bass pedal
Herve Guillo: wooden flute
Christian Faucheur: bombard and low whistle
This recording is the 1997 All Things Breton Album of the Year.
An deiziou kaer (which means “Springtime” or “Beautiful Days” in Breton) was the second recording from the group Storvan in the late ’90s and a benchmark recording for this reviewer. Coming with a slight change in personnel (Christian LeMaitre replacing Frédéric Samzun on violin, a change that has recently been reversed) several years after their first, more simply produced recording Digor N’ Abadenn, it represented a quantum shift in presentation for Breton music. An deiziou kaer combined a variety of sonic textures in a pleasing aesthetic whole with powerful, complex arrangements and superior production. It also provided a bit of a surprise popular hit with the tune Ar Biniou. After not listening to the disc for quite some time I revisited it recently with special interest in seeing how it would compare to modern releases and the ever-expanding envelope of stylistic influences, production technology and sounds in Breton music. It held up quite well.
This disc has all of the elements that compel my interest in Breton music: hypnotic and exciting dance rhythms and haunting, sinuous melodies interwoven with varied harmonies, all beautifully arranged and played. While lacking some of the ‘innovative’ antics of today’s bands, the arrangement of LeMaitre’s fiddle, the unique, intricate bouzouki of Le Bloas, the thick tone of Guillo’s solid and always perfectly fitted flute parts and the incredible articulation and drive of Christian Faucher’s epic bombard solos are still an exhilarating listening experience. An deiziou kaer is always effortlessly mesmerizing and tasteful in a way that many current bands can only wish for. Every aspect of this recording is superior to the majority of what is being produced today, as this is not an especially golden age for recordings of almost any genre due to the corrosive effect of streaming services.
Discs published by Keltia Musique do not typically suffer from poor production values and that is certainly the case here. This recording in particular presents itself as a whole; a recognizable soundscape that ebbs and flows, charges and gallops in a way that has allowed it to remain intriguing after many repeat listens over the years.
Over the past decade Storvan still performed very occasionally. 2023 saw a return to a regular performance schedule with the return of original violinist Frédéric Samzun and young guitarist Erwan Moal replacing Le Bloas, who passed away in 2021.
-Fañch
Storvan 2023! Storvan returns after a decades-long hiatus, with original violinist Frédéric Samzun returning to the fold and new guitarist Erwan Moal.