MEREDITH MONK : Piano Songs (Bruce Brubaker • Ursula Oppens) (2002-2014) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Meredith Monk's Piano Songs consists of pieces or other material dating from 1971 to 2006, originally composed for voice or conceived with aspects of song at their core. Yet writing for two pianos presented Monk with many possibilities, and she didn't always rely on song structure as her model. This ECM New Series release by Ursula Oppens and Bruce Brubaker shows how strongly Monk was influenced by the minimalism of the 1970s, because the kinetic patterns of Obsolete Objects, Folkdance, Tower, Railroad, Window in 7's, and Totentanz create their content and define the form. Even such song-like pieces as Ellis Island, Urban March, Paris, and Parlour Games have active patterns that move the music along, though at a more moderate pace. Perhaps only the St. Petersburg Waltz and the Phantom Waltz are constructed with a conventional single-line melody and accompaniment, and the repeated chord progressions provide a traditional harmonic rhythm, rather than generate the main material. Oppens and Brubaker perform with precision and energy, and the album presents a mix of bright and energetic pieces with softer, moodier reflections. by Blair Sanderson  

MEREDITH MONK

1    Obsolete Objects    1:52
2    Ellis Island    2:59
3    Folkdance    4:00
4    Urban March (Shadow)    3:07
5    Tower    1:37
6    Paris    3:09
7    Railroad (Travel Song)    2:12
8    Parlour Games    7:31
9    St. Petersburg Waltz    7:03
10    Window In 7's    2:46
11    Totentanz    3:08
12    Phantom Waltz    7:14

Arranged By [Arranged For Two Pianos By] – Bruce Brubaker (pistas: 4, 5, 8, 11)
Piano – Bruce Brubaker (pistas: 1 to 5, 7, 8, 10 to 12), Ursula Oppens (pistas: 1 to 6, 8, 9, 11, 12)

MEREDITH MONK : KEY (1971-1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Re-release on CD of the 1973 classic. Monk's modern folk music from her beautiful and noble performance-ceremonies that recall former times and a lineage of human understanding beyond the present state of things. Songs include "Porch," "Under Street," "What Does it Mean?," "Vision," "Fat Stream," "Do you be?" "Vision" (reprise), "Change," and "Dungeon" with Meredith Monk, voice, organ, jew's harp; Daniel Ira Sverdlik, Dick Higgins, Colin Walcott, Lanny Harrison, and Mark Monstermaker, voices. See also her beautiful "Phantom Waltz" in the collection U.S. Choices by the piano duet Double Edge. by "Blue" Gene Tyranny

MEREDITH MONK

1-10    Key, an album of invisible theatre for solo voice, electronic organ, vocal quartet, percussion & Jew's harp

Percussion [Mrdingam], Producer [Production Supervisor] – Collin Walcott
Voice [Companion] – Collin Walcott, Daniel Ira Sverdlik, Dick Higgins
Voice [Travelling], Jew's Harp, Organ [Electric] – Meredith Monk
Voice [Vision Monologues] – Lanny Harrison, Mark Berger

MEREDITH MONK : Our Lady of Late (1973-1988) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

MEREDITH MONK

1-18    Our Lady of Late: Music for Voice and Glass

Instrumentation By, Other [Title] – William Dunas
Percussion, Performer [Glass] – Collin Walcott
Voice, Performer [Glass] – Meredith Monk

MEREDITH MONK : Songs from the Hill • Tablet (1979) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

MEREDITH MONK

Songs From The Hill   
1    Lullaby    1:39
2    Mesa    2:05
3    Jade (Old Woman's Song)    2:25
4    Wa-lie-oh 3:45
5    Insect    1:51
6    Descending    1:45
7    Silo    2:13
8    Bird Code    1:49
9    Jew's Harp    2:26
10    Prairie Ghost    5:36
Voice – Meredith Monk
11    Tablet 23:05
Engineer – Neal Ceppos
Executive-Producer – Kaylynn Sullivan
Producer – Richard Einhorn
Recorder [Soprano] – Andrea Goodman
Voice, Piano – Andrea Goodman, Monica Solem, Susan Kampe

MEREDITH MONK : Dolmen Music (1981) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Meredith Monk has such a wonderful and unique vocal style that she is able to sing in complete abstraction (no known words or language for much of the album) yet maintain a very emotional and even sentimental quality in these abstractions, at times. Listeners who can get past just how unique and abstract her approach is will find immense joy and sadness deep within her pieces. On Dolmen Music, Monk wavers from being sad to the point of being quite morose (such as the tracks "Gotham Lullaby" and "The Tale") to being happy to the point of hysteria (as on "Traveling" and "Biography") without skipping a beat. Most of the musical accompaniment is minimalist (mainly piano with occasional, sparse percussion, guest vocalists also being prominent on the final six-part track "Dolmen Music"). This minimalist support only furthers Monk's vast vocal language as the prominent focus in the recordings. Listeners will also be very pleased to find that her wonderful voice is not crowded or overshadowed. A true original, Monk's work should be sought by anyone with an interest in vocal exploration. by Michael G. Breece  

MEREDITH MONK

1    Gotham Lullaby    4:15
Piano – Meredith Monk
Percussion, Violin – Collin Walcott
2    Travelling    6:15
Piano – Meredith Monk
Percussion, Violin – Collin Walcott
3    The Tale    2:47
Piano – Meredith Monk
Piano – Steve Lockwood
4    Biography    9:24
Piano – Meredith Monk
5-10    Dolmen Music    (23:39)
Voice, Percussion – Julius Eastman
Voice, Cello – Robert Een
Voices – Andrea Goodman, Monica Solem, Paul Langland
Voice, Percussion – Julius Eastman
   
Producer – Collin Walcott, Manfred Eicher

MEREDITH MONK : Turtle Dreams (1983) APE (image+.cue), lossless

A daring display of vocal gymnastics and a journey back to childhood when all sounds were wondrous, Turtle Dreams includes the title track composition for four voices (two men, two women) and four organs as well as shorter pieces featuring various combinations of voice, Casio, piano, miniMoog, and didgeridoo. Monk's work raises smiles as well as the hair on the back of the neck. Here she seems tapped into some primordial force -- humming, babbling, chattering, all set to looping, funereal organ works of chromatic simplicity. Mesmerizing yet never mechanical, the side-long "Turtle Dreams" and "View 1" derive their pleasures from the infinite sounds of the human voice. The entire album accompanied a multimedia work where Monk and three other singer/dancers were intercut with shots of a turtle walking over various terrains (including miniature cities, looking like a monster movie). Comforting thoughts during any listen. by Ted Mills

MEREDITH MONK

1    Turtle Dreams (Waltz)    17:50
Voices – Andrea Goodman, Meredith Monk, Paul Langland, Robert Een
Organ – Collin Walcott, Julius Eastman, Meredith Monk, Steve Lockwood
2    View 1    10:14
3    Engine Steps    2:00
4    Ester's Song    1:13
5    View 2    6:02
Didgeridoo [Didjeridoo] – Collin Walcott
Piano, Synthesizer [Mini-Moog], Keyboards [Casio] – Meredith Monk

MEREDITH MONK : Do You Be (1987) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This release features song excerpts from various long-form theater pieces, the first four coming from Meredith Monk's theater piece Acts From Under and Above, and these are the most jarring on the record. "Scared Song" features English lyrics, minimal accompaniment, and Monk singing harsh, abrasive "scared" sounds. Very unsettling -- and perhaps that is the intention. "Do You Be," a selection from her opera Vessel, features Monk solo on piano and voice with a shrill, piercing wail. Very satisfying. Additional selections from Vessel appear on Monk's 1992 recording Facing North. With one exception, the remaining tracks come from a Monk/Ping Chong science fiction epic opera called The Games, and these more diverse, more exploratory pieces really make the collection work as a recording. A casual listener unfamiliar with the theater pieces may well be put off by the abrasiveness of the first four tracks, which may unfortunately be enough to deter them from the remainder of the recording. But beyond some questionable programming choices, fans of her work will be delighted to see her continuing development as a recording artist. by Mark Allender  

MEREDITH MONK

1    Scared Song 6'04
Piano – Nurit Tilles
Voice, Synthesizer – Meredith Monk
2    I Don't Know 3'31
Voice, Piano – Meredith Monk
3    Window In 7's 2'12
Piano – Nurit Tilles
4    Double Fiesta 5'21
Piano – Edmund Niemann, Nurit Tilles
Voice – Meredith Monk
5    Do You Be 4'02
Voice, Piano – Meredith Monk
6    Panda Chant I 1'56
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Meredith Monk, Naaz Hosseini, Robert Een, Wayne Hankin
7    Memory Song 6'40
Keyboards – Nurit Tilles, Wayne Hankin
Violin – Naaz Hosseini
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Meredith Monk, Naaz Hosseini
8    Panda Chant II 1'35
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Ching Gonzalez, Meredith Monk, Naaz Hosseini, Nurit Tilles, Robert Een, Wayne Hankin
9    Quarry Lullaby 2'00
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Ching Gonzalez, Meredith Monk, Naaz Hosseini, Nurit Tilles, Robert Een, Wayne Hankin
10    Shadow Song 1'57
Voice – Meredith Monk
11    Astronaut Anthem 4'56
Piano – Meredith Monk
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Ching Gonzalez, Johanna Arnold, John Eppler, Naaz Hosseini, Nicky Paraiso, Robert Een, Wayne Hankin
12    Wheel 3'40
Bagpipes – Wayne Hankin
Synthesizer – Nurit Tilles
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Meredith Monk, Naaz Hosseini

Ensemble – Meredith Monk And Vocal Ensemble

MEREDITH MONK : Book of Days (1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This is in many ways (but not completely) the soundtrack to the Meredith Monk film of the same title. Many of the pieces from the film which are little more than fleeting musical passages are fleshed out here into fuller, more composition-oriented pieces. Very limited accompaniment here; pieces are primarily vocal compositions augmented with the occasional dulcimer, hurdy gurdy, or cello. The music has a medieval quality to it -- not surprising considering the subject nature of the film -- and unlike many soundtracks, this recording stands up well on its own as a body of recorded work. First-time listeners who have not seen the film will be compelled to see the film. A satisfying work. by Mark Allender

MEREDITH MONK

1    Early Morning Melody 1'28
Voice – Naaz Hosseini
2    Travelers 1, 2, 3 2'31
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Ching Gonzalez, Meredith Monk, Naaz Hosseini, Nicky Paraiso, Robert Een
3    Dawn 3'18
Keyboards – Nurit Tilles
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Ching Gonzalez, Joan Barber, Johanna Arnold, John Eppler, Meredith Monk, Naaz Hosseini, Nicky Paraiso, Robert Een, Timothy Sawyer
4    Travelers 4/Churchyard Entertainment 6'34
Keyboards – Nurit Tilles
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Ching Gonzalez, Joan Barber, Johanna Arnold, John Eppler, Meredith Monk, Naaz Hosseini, Nicky Paraiso, Robert Een, Timothy Sawyer
5    Afternoon Melodies 4'56
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Naaz Hosseini, Robert Een, Wayne Hankin
6    Fields/Clouds 2'21
Keyboards – Nurit Tilles
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Ching Gonzalez, Joan Barber, Johanna Arnold, John Eppler, Meredith Monk, Naaz Hosseini, Nicky Paraiso, Robert Een, Timothy Sawyer, Wayne Hankin
7    Dusk 2'31
Bagpipes [Grosser Bock], Hurdy Gurdy – Wayne Hankin
Voice – Meredith Monk
8    Eva's Song 0'48
Voice – Toby Newman
9    Evening 2'51
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Meredith Monk
10    Travelers 5 1'55
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Meredith Monk, Naaz Hosseini, Robert Een
11    Jewish Storyteller/Dance/Dream 4'54
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Ching Gonzalez, Joan Barber, Johanna Arnold, John Eppler, Meredith Monk, Naaz Hosseini, Nicky Paraiso, Robert Een, Timothy Sawyer
12    Plague 3'10
Voice – Andrea Goodman, Ching Gonzalez, Joan Barber, Johanna Arnold, John Eppler, Meredith Monk, Naaz Hosseini, Nicky Paraiso, Robert Een, Timothy Sawyer, Wayne Hankin
13    Madwoman's Vision 7'40
Cello – Robert Een
Recorder [Bass Recorder] – Wayne Hankin
Violin, Voice – Naaz Hosseini
Voice, Keyboards – Meredith Monk
14    Cave Song 3'48
Dulcimer [Hammered Dulcimer] – Nurit Tilles
Voice – Meredith Monk, Toby Newman

Ensemble – Meredith Monk And Vocal Ensemble
Music By [Improvisation By] – Wayne Hankin (pistas: 7)

MEREDITH MONK w / ROBERT EEN : Facing North (1992) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 Composed while working on the Atlas opera, "Facing North" was composed at the Leighton Artist's Colony in Banff, Alberta, and inspired by the sights and sounds of rural Canada in the winter months. The "Northern Lights" movements are atmospheric and gentle, while "Arctic Bar" represents the sounds of humanity congregating in a warm tavern -- dissonant, happy, and uncomfortable. "Keeping Warm" is an agitated staccato-punctuated vocal pattern that instills the mind with the notion of resorting to movement to keep one's self warm. This is a multi-faceted view of "north" as a state of mind -- what Monk calls "the awareness of the fragility of human life in relation to the forces of nature and in turn the vulnerability of nature itself to the indifference of human beings." Two other pieces are included on this release: the dramatic "Vessel: An Opera Epic" (a composition from 1971 based loosely on the life of Joan of Arc) and "Boat Song" (a movement from Monk's 1979 "Recent Ruins" composition). "Vessel" is an emotional piece; the "Fire Dance" movement is very slow and passionate with drones and throat singing, and the "Epic" portion is very shrill and agitated. "Boat Song" is short and esoteric; it leaves the listener wishing there were more of the whole piece included on this recording. by Mark Allender  

1-9     Facing North, for 2 voices & tape
Pipe [Pitch Pipe] – Meredith Monk, Robert Een
Piano – Meredith Monk
Voice – Meredith Monk, Robert Een
10-13    Vessel: An Opera Epic
Organ, Piano – Meredith Monk
14    Recent Ruins
Voice – Meredith Monk, Robert Een

MEREDITH MONK : Atlas, An Opera in 3 Parts (Wayne Hankin) 2CD (1993) APE (tracks+.cue), lossless

The soundtrack to Monk's 1993 opera Atlas does sound incomplete without the performance. And yes, it is long and difficult. And, in terms of Monk's self-professed ambition to make this release stand alone on the strength of the music only, it is a failure. But with knowledge of the libretto (luckily summarized in the CD booklet), this recording can easily be considered one of Monk's greatest works. Portraying the story of Alexandra, an adolescent girl/adult woman with dreams of exploration, the opera portrays her travels and experiences using very few actual words -- mostly assonant syllables. Dreamy and emotive for the first "Personal Climate" section, the mood of the piece becomes at times shrill, and at other times chaotic as Alexandra travels the world in the second "Night Travel" portion of the opera. The third and final part, "Invisible Light," closes the opera with a somewhat "celestial" sounding cadence. High points include "Ice Demons," "Choosing Companions," and "Airport." by Mark Allender

Atlas, an opera in 3 parts for 18 voices & large ensemble
Part I: Personal Climate
Part Il: Night Travel
Part Ill: Invisible Light

CAST
Carlos Arévalo, Thomas Bogdan, Victoria Boosmana, Janis Brenner, Shi-Zheng Chen, Allison Easter, Robert Een, Dina Emerson, Emily Eyre, Katie Geissinger, Ching Gonzalez, Dana Hanchard, Wendy Hill, Stephen Kalm, Meedith Monk, Robert Osborne, Wilbur Pauley, Randall Wong

ORCHESTRA
Cello – Anthony Pirollo, Arthur J. Fiacco Jr.
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet – John Cipolla
French Horn – James F. Wilson
Glass Harmonica – Bill Hayes (pistas: 2-4)
Keyboards – Cynthia Powell, Steve Lockwood
Percussion – Thad Wheeler
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Shawm, Sheng, Recorder, Conductor [Orchestra] – Wayne Hankin
Viola – Kathleen Carroll
Violin – Darryl Kubian, Susan Iadone

MEREDITH MONK : Volcano Songs (1997) APE (image+.cue), lossless

MEREDITH MONK

1-4    Volcano Songs: Duets
5    New York Requiem
6-10    Volcano Songs: Solos
11    St Petersburg Waltz    
12    Three Heavens And Hells    
13-14    From Light Songs

Piano – Harry Huff (pistas: 5), Nurit Tilles (pistas: 11)
Voice – Allison Easter (pistas: 12), Dina Emerson (pistas: 12), Katie Geissinger (pistas: 1 to 4, 12), Meredith Monk (pistas: 1 to 10, 12 to 14)

MEREDITH MONK : Mercy (2002) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Mercy is a music theater collaboration between Meredith Monk and visual artist Ann Hamilton, described as "a meditation on the human capacity to both extend and withhold compassion, kindness, empathy, and mercy." It's scored for six dancer/vocalists, two keyboards, percussion, violin, and theremin. Music and choreography are by Monk, with installations by Hamilton. Conception, development, and direction were shared. What's Mercy about? Who knows? This disc is the audio-only portion of the show with nary a liner note to sort things out a bit. Mercy represents a lovely evolution in Monk's work, with few surprises and departures within the unique and evocative genre she has created. The music is mostly very tonal in the traditional sense and lulling in a calmly minimalist way, though thoughtful and edgy, rarely letting one slip into comfortable inattention. Most of the singing is pure vocalise -- from lyrical singing and chanting to whispers and whoops -- trading the blatant sense of language for a gut experience that aims at something deeper and more atavistic than word setting may achieve. What good is all this without witnessing the stage setting by Hamilton and the remarkable dance and movement choreographed by Monk? Good enough to enjoy and merit total attention in the audio realm alone only, if one is a die-hard fan. There is simply no way to get a sense of Mercy without the visual element. The musical score to, say, Oklahoma! pretty much captures the entire sense of the show. But Mercy has sections called "doctor/patient," and "line 3 and prisoner," for example, which have almost no meaning stripped of the staging elements. That is the problem with getting Monk's theater works on audio-only discs; wait for the DVD of the entire production. by Gerald Brennan  

MEREDITH MONK

1-5    Mercy, opera for 6 voices, 2 keyboards, percussion, violin & theremin
6-7    Mercy, opera for 6 voices, 2 keyboards, percussion, violin & theremin
8-14   Mercy, opera for 6 voices, 2 keyboards, percussion, violin & theremin
All Credits

MEREDITH MONK : Impermanence (2008) APE (image+.cue), lossless

In her album Impermanence, Meredith Monk succeeds in creating pieces that fit her theme well and much of this music does indeed seem ephemeral, fleeting. These works are not casually or routinely constructed, though; their apparent simplicity masks a psychological and musical sophistication that's evident in the way their carefully placed details contribute to their surprising impact. The prevailing mood of the album is melancholy, but not passive sadness; even the songs that deal most explicitly with loss, such as Last Song (which opens the album) and Liminal, are punctuated with astonishing, defiant gestural outbursts that make it clear that Monk has no intention of going gentle into that good night. One of the strengths of the album is the variety of its pieces; Monk is never repeating herself or just recycling ideas. Pieces such as Particular Dance, for voices and mixed ensemble, are lively and full of unpredictable humor, and Maybe 1, for eight pianos, is a quirky, minimalist-inspired bagatelle. The textural variety of the pieces is also appealing; almost all of them use voices in one way or another, but the voice is often used instrumentally or as accompaniment to the instruments. Monk and her ensemble perform with great delicacy and sensitivity to each other; this is clearly a group of singers and instrumentalists that knows how to listen, and each member is constantly calibrating his or her contribution with the sounds of the others, as in the best chamber music performances. ECM's sound is immaculate. The album is a significant addition to Monk's discography and should be of strong interest to fans of new vocal music that pushes the envelope but is still accessible and engaging. by Stephen Eddins  
Tracklist :
1    Last Song 7'16
Voice, Piano – Meredith Monk
2    Maybe 1 2'03
Piano – Allison Sniffin, Bohdan Hilash, Ching Gonzalez, Ellen Fisher, John Hollenbeck, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Theo Bleckmann
3    Little Breath 1'43
Bass Clarinet – Bohdan Hilash
Bells [Elephant Bells] – John Hollenbeck
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Theo Bleckmann
4    Liminal 10'56
Clarinet [B♭ Clarinet], Clarinet [A Clarinet], Bass Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone [Aulos] – Bohdan Hilash
Marimba, Vibraphone, Percussion, Bass Drum – John Hollenbeck
Piano, Violin – Allison Sniffin
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Theo Bleckmann
5    Disequilibrium 2'26
Performer [Bicycle Wheel] – John Hollenbeck
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Ellen Fisher, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Silvie Jensen, Theo Bleckmann
6    Particular Dance 4'57
Ocarina [Double Ocarina], Flute [Balinese Flute], Reeds [Zaphoon], Performer [Punji] – Bohdan Hilash
Percussion [Metal And Wood Percussion], Cymbal, Bass Drum, Angklung [Anklung] – John Hollenbeck
Piano – Allison Sniffin
Voice – Ching Gonzalez, Ellen Fisher, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Sasha Bogdanowitsch, Silvie Jensen, Theo Bleckmann
7    Between Song 6'08
Bells [Chinese Temple Bells], Vibraphone – John Hollenbeck
Clarinet [B♭ Clarinet], Bass Clarinet – Bohdan Hilash
Piano – Allison Sniffin
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk
8    Passage 1'55
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Ching Gonzalez, Ellen Fisher, Katie Geissinger, Sasha Bogdanowitsch, Silvie Jensen, Theo Bleckmann
9    Maybe 2 3'07
Bass Clarinet – Bohdan Hilash
Bass Drum – John Hollenbeck
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Ching Gonzalez, Ellen Fisher, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Theo Bleckmann
10    Skeleton Lines 4'19
Clarinet [B♭ Clarinet] – Bohdan Hilash
Marimba, Vibraphone, Percussion [Wooden Clackers] – John Hollenbeck
Piano – Allison Sniffin, Theo Bleckmann
Voice, Piano – Meredith Monk
11    Slow Dissolve 2'35
Bass Clarinet – Bohdan Hilash
Glockenspiel – John Hollenbeck
Violin – Allison Sniffin
Voice – The Ensemble
12    Totentanz 3'59
Clarinet [B♭ Clarinet], Bass Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Bohdan Hilash
Marimba, Vibraphone, Bass Drum, Percussion [Paddle Drums] – John Hollenbeck
Piano, Violin – Allison Sniffin
Voice – Meredith Monk, Theo Bleckmann
13    Sweep 1 1'28
Percussion [Paddle Drums] – John Hollenbeck
14    Rocking 5'17
Bass Clarinet – Bohdan Hilash
Marimba, Vibraphone – John Hollenbeck
Voice – The Ensemble
15    Sweep 2 1'24
Percussion [Ocean Drum] – Bohdan Hilash
Percussion, Bells [Chinese Temple Bells], Performer [Magnets] – John Hollenbeck
Voice – Allison Sniffin
16    Mieke's Melody #5 5'15
Piano – Allison Sniffin
Vibraphone – John Hollenbeck
Voice – The Ensemble

Ensemble – Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble
Percussion – John Hollenbeck
Piano, Violin – Allison Sniffin
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Ching Gonzalez, Ellen Fisher, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Sasha Bogdanowitsch, Silvie Jensen, Theo Bleckmann
Woodwind [Woodwinds] – Bohdan Hilash

MEREDITH MONK : Songs of Ascension (2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Meredith Monk's Songs of Ascension is made up of 21 relatively short movements for ensembles of voices or instruments or combinations of both, in groupings as straightforward as a string quartet and as complex as the mix of 12 virtuoso vocal soloists, strings, bass clarinet, and percussion. The unity of the material may not be apparent on first hearing, but Monk helps orient the listener with her titles; there are three related movements with the title "Clusters," four with "Variations" (one for each season), two with "Strand," and a "Mapping" and "Mapping Continued." In his insightful program notes, Kyle Gann comments that Monk's music sounds "not avant-garde, but ancient… not minimalist but like an invented folk tradition," and that Monk herself "sounds less like the sophisticated New York composer she is than like a shaman, some Druid priestess… whose music has somehow come down to us in a miraculous state of preservation." That imagery does certainly capture something of the intensely evocative, primordial quality that makes Monk's music so distinctive. It is potent testimony to the fertility of her imagination that even after a very productive lifetime of exploring non-traditional uses of the voice, she continues to astonish and dazzle with new vocal sounds, nowhere more evident than in her solo, "Fathom," the CD's penultimate track.

The album was recorded in a studio, but Songs of Ascension was conceived and created as a site-specific work, to be performed on the staircase of an eight-story circular tower in Sonoma, CA, designed by artist Ann Hamilton. Something may have been lost in transferring the piece from its original, unique sonic environment, but what's added is the massed power of the Montclair State University Singers, who bring an awesome monumentality to the final movement. Monk also marshals a broad range of new music virtuosi: the members of her own ensemble, the singers of the M6, and the Todd Reynolds Quartet. Produced by ECM's legendary Manfred Eicher, the album's sound is immaculate, warm, and immediate. Highly recommended, especially for Monk's fans and anyone who loves innovative vocal music. by Stephen Eddins  
Tracklist :
1    Clusters 1
Viola – Nadia Sirota 3'19
Violin – Courtney Orlando, Todd Reynolds
Violoncello – Ha-Yang Kim
2    Strand (Gathering) 1'55
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Bruce Rameker, Ching Gonzalez, Ellen Fisher, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk
3    Winter Variation 1'51
Bass Clarinet – Bohdan Hilash
Percussion – John Hollenbeck
Viola – Nadia Sirota
Violin – Courtney Orlando, Todd Reynolds
Violoncello – Ha-Yang Kim
4    Cloud Code 3'31
Shruti Box – Allison Sniffin, Bohdan Hilash, Ching Gonzalez
Viola – Nadia Sirota
Violin – Courtney Orlando, Todd Reynolds
Violoncello – Ha-Yang Kim
Voice – Bruce Rameker, Ching Gonzalez, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Peter Sciscioli
5    Shift 1'51
Bass Clarinet – Bohdan Hilash
Percussion – John Hollenbeck
Viola – Nadia Sirota
Violin – Courtney Orlando, Todd Reynolds
Violoncello – Ha-Yang Kim
6    Mapping 2'07
Percussion – John Hollenbeck
Voice – Ching Gonzalez, Meredith Monk
7    Summer Variation 3'16
Bass Clarinet – Bohdan Hilash
Percussion – John Hollenbeck
Viola – Nadia Sirota
Violin – Courtney Orlando, Todd Reynolds
Violoncello – Ha-Yang Kim
Voice – Bruce Rameker, Katie Geissinger
8    Vow 3'12
Viola – Nadia Sirota
Violin – Todd Reynolds
Violoncello – Ha-Yang Kim
Voice – Katie Geissinger
9    Clusters 2
Choir – Montclair State University SIngers
Ensemble – The M6
Percussion – John Hollenbeck
10    Falling 2'54
Percussion – John Hollenbeck
Viola – Nadia Sirota
Violin – Courtney Orlando, Todd Reynolds
Violoncello – Ha-Yang Kim
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Bruce Rameker, Ching Gonzalez, Ellen Fisher, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk
11    Burn 4'16
Bass Clarinet – Bohdan Hilash
Percussion – John Hollenbeck
Viola – Nadia Sirota
Violin – Allison Sniffin, Courtney Orlando, Todd Reynolds
Violoncello – Ha-Yang Kim
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Bruce Rameker, Ching Gonzalez, Ellen Fisher, Emily Eagen, Holly Nadal, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Peter Sciscioli, Sasha Bogdanowitsch, Sidney Chen, Toby Newman
12    Strand (Inner Psalm) 3'12
Bass Clarinet – Bohdan Hilash
Violin – Todd Reynolds
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Bruce Rameker, Ching Gonzalez, Courtney Orlando, Ellen Fisher, Ha-Yang Kim, Holly Nadal, John Hollenbeck, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Nadia Sirota, Peter Sciscioli
13    Autumn Variation 2'48
Alto Saxophone – Bohdan Hilash
Percussion – John Hollenbeck
Viola – Nadia Sirota
Violin – Courtney Orlando, Todd Reynolds
Violoncello – Ha-Yang Kim
14    Ledge Dance 1'50
Choir – Montclair State University SIngers
Ensemble – The M6
Saxophone [Ceramic Saxophone] – Bohdan Hilash
Viola – Nadia Sirota
Violin – Courtney Orlando, Todd Reynolds
Violoncello – Ha-Yang Kim
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Katie Geissinger
15    Traces 1'20
Viola – Nadia Sirota
Violin – Courtney Orlando, Todd Reynolds
Violoncello – Ha-Yang Kim
16    Respite 5'56
Shruti Box – Allison Sniffin, Bohdan Hilash, Bruce Rameker, Ching Gonzalez, Ellen Fisher, John Hollenbeck, Katie Geissinger
Viola – Nadia Sirota
Violin – Courtney Orlando, Todd Reynolds
Violoncello – Ha-Yang Kim
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Bruce Rameker, Ching Gonzalez, Meredith Monk
17    Mapping Continued 1'29
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Bruce Rameker, Ching Gonzalez, Meredith Monk
18    Clusters 3 2'09
Khene [Khaen Baet] – Bohdan Hilash
19    Spring Variation 4'03
Bass Clarinet – Bohdan Hilash
Percussion – John Hollenbeck
Viola – Nadia Sirota
Violin – Courtney Orlando, Todd Reynolds
Violoncello – Ha-Yang Kim
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Bruce Rameker, Ching Gonzalez, Katie Geissinger, Peter Sciscioli
20    Fathom 4'37
Voice, Shruti Box – Meredith Monk
21    Ascent 9'26
Choir – Montclair State University SIngers
Ensemble – Meredith Monk And Vocal Ensemble, The M6, Todd Reynolds Quartet
All Credits

MEREDITH MONK : Memory Game (2020) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Meredith Monk's music, even more so than that of her fellow minimalists, has been embedded in dance and multimedia presentations tied to a specific place and time. But Memory Game suggests that her works, like those of Arvo Pärt, flourish in new arrangements and will survive separation from their original contexts. The album includes a variety of little-known, but thoroughly enjoyable Monk works, rearranged for voices (mostly) and small ensemble by members of the venerable New York avant-garde group Bang on a Can All-Stars. The arrangements emphasize the deadpan space travel-ethnography texts, as well as the wordless vocalizing. The bulk of the program is given over to a new version of Monk's 1983 work The Games, which was originally for 16 voices, synthesizer, keyboards, Flemish bagpipes, bagpipes, Chinese horn, and rauschpfeife. The simpler version here emphasizes the text in a way that the original doesn't, but it's not fundamentally different stuff, and it comes out well. The rest of the album contains shorter works that preserve and highlight Monk's collection of vocalizations, slides, and nonsense syllables. The "Waltz in 5s," which is exactly what it sounds like, was arranged by Monk herself, with Allison Sniffin, while Tokyo Cha Cha is the type of Monk piece writer Grego Applegate Edwards has likened to pop art. All of it is arresting and deceptively simple. The recording was made not for Monk's longtime home at ECM, but for the Cantaloupe label: it is beautifully engineered and often hypnotic. A real find for Monk fans that points to where her music will be in the public mind ten years hence. by James Manheim  
Tracklist :
1    Spaceship (1983)    4:18
2    Gamemaster's Song (1983) 5:12
Solo Vocal – Theo Bleckmann
3    Migration (1983) 7:37
Performer – Michael Cerveris
Words By – Ping Chong
4    Memory Song (1983) 6:44
Words By – Meredith Monk
5    Downfall (1983)    3:56
6    Waltz In 5s (1996) 3:54
Solo Vocal – Katie Geissinger
7    Tokyo Cha Cha (1983)    9:45
8    Totentanz (2006)    3:12
9    Double Fiesta (1986) 5:42
Words By – Meredith Monk
Credits :
Cello, Vocals – Ashley Bathgate
Choir – Meredith Monk And Vocal Ensemble
Composed By, Mixed By [Assisting], Liner Notes – Meredith Monk
Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass – Robert Black
Electric Guitar, Banjo, Vocals – Mark Stewart
Orchestra – Bang On A Can All-Stars
Percussion – David Cossin
Piano, Keyboards, Melodica – Vicky Chow
Saxophone, Clarinet – Ken Thomson
Vocals – Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Theo Bleckmann
Vocals, Psaltery [Bowed] – Allison Sniffin