In the Catedral Metropolitana in Mexico City, Jürgen Essl and Jeremy Joseph encounter one another at two organs positioned opposite each other. There were no rehearsals and no detailed specifications for their eleven improvisations. At most, the beginning and basic registration were determined in advance. Without visual contact, the musicians respond to the other’s movements, silences and harmonic turns. Experience with early music and jazz flows into a shared, open-ended tonal language.
The historic instruments by Joseph Francisco Nassarre Cimorra and Jorge de Sesma shape this dialogue directly. Singing foundation stops, reed and aliquot stops, and a modified meantone temperament open a broad spectrum. Their positions on opposite sides of the church interior turn proximity and distance into musical means. Pieces such as Inertia, Ritual and Pasaje reveal different forms of this spontaneous understanding.
The recording from May 2018 preserves the relationship between the two organs and the cathedral. Alongside stereo and 5.1 surround, the Hybrid SACD offers a 3D binaural version for headphones.