Scene Magazine
Januar 25-31, 1996

TIBOR SZEMZŐ
TRACTATUS
(Leo Records)

Tractatus is a work which, in many ways, pushes the boundaries of so-called "minimalist" composition. It is a piece which covers a half-hour of time with very small and quiet progressions.
At its core is a male voice hummming a few notes repeatedly, while a similarly stripped down bassline adds a few more notes to the picture. As the piece progresses, snippets of text are introduced intermittently. The text - in seven different Ianguages - is taken from the writings of the late Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889 - 1951).
Other instrument sounds -percussion, synthesizer - are subtly drawn into the mix over the course of the work's duration. They wander in unannounced and vanish as mysteriously as they appear.
Tractatus is a quiet, sombre and thoughtful work which stands in a category by itself. It could be termed "minimalist" or even "ambient" but, neither one of these categorizations does it particulary appropriate justice. It is a soundwork which teases the auditory senses from a distance and draws the listener into its own engaging world.
I don't believe that I have ever heard a work which sounds quite like this recording. Engrossing and hypnotic.

Chris Meloche

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