#maneira

The instrumentation varies from three to five instruments, and each piece begins with a blending of the voices. The quintet pieces include cello, double bass, and either one violin and two violas or one viola and two violins. The descriptively titled “Quintetto” evolves through a series of movements separated by pauses. On the opener, “Selva,” the chords shift fairly rapidly and regularly, oscillating between brighter and more somber tones; the middle section features a rising pitch with an almost electronic quality that then mutates into a pastoral keening of strings that grow somber as the piece draws to a close. On “Plutone,” the longest and among the livelier tracks despite its title, stops and starts punctuate the darkening shifts in tone, suggesting the Roman death god’s return to Hades.

Among the quartet pieces, the glassy sheen of “Arpocrate” contrasts with the other tracks, adding variety to the set. “Otto” features all but the double bass, with double stops magnifying the sound. The two recordings of “Trio 2,” one with two violas and one with violin, viola, and cello, naturally feel sparer and more focused, with the instrumentation eliminating the bass entirely.

Like the previous release, Maniera rewards repeated and close listening but could also serve as ambient accompaniment for, for example, an art installation or a journey through the cloudscape pictured on the cover. At higher volumes, the music seems to find or create overtones in whatever space it is played. Give it a chance; it will draw you in.