John Zorn: Rituals

Współczesna Muzyka Klasyczna / Avant Garde
premiera polska: 2005-06-07
seria wydawnicza: Composer Series
kontynent: Ameryka Północna
kraj: USA
opakowanie: Jewelcaseowe etui
opis:
multikulti.com:
Monodramę "Rituals" na mezzosopran i 10 instrumentów John Zorn skomponował na Bayreuth Opera Festival w 1998 roku. Owiane skandalem wykonanie doczekało się wersji studyjnej dopiero po 7 latach. W nagraniu wzięli udział muzycy na stałe współpracujący z Zornem, jak Jennifer Choi, Stephen Drury, Jim Pugliese oraz goście specjalni.
Za pulpitem dyrygenckim stanął Brad Lubman, który ma w swoim dorobku współpracę z Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Ensemble Modern, London Sinfonietta, Klangforum Wien

pitchfork.com 7.5/10
This operatic monodrama in five movements for mezzo-soprano and 10 instruments draws inspiration from the writings of Aleister Crowley.
When Rituals made its debut at the Bayreuth Opera Festival in 1998 it violently divided its audience, with half the crowd cheering in approval and the other half booing and heckling all the way to the exits, a vivid polarization one suspects to be precisely the reaction that John Zorn most desired. While listening to this handsome new studio recording of the piece, however, it's a little difficult to understand what exactly caused all the hubbub, as longtime Zorn aficionados are unlikely to even consider this to be one of his more confrontational or difficult works.
Conducted here by Brad Lubman, Rituals is billed as an operatic monodrama in five movements for mezzo-soprano and 10 instruments. As with other recent Zorn works like 2002's IAO and last year's Magick, the piece draws inspiration from the abstruse, mystical writings of Aleister Crowley, although Rituals includes no libretto as such. In practice, this lack of lyrics serves to enhance the music's captivating, luminous intrigue, and heighten its mysterious incantatory energies.
Short in length, Rituals is dense and focused, a model of understated restraint that contains none of Zorn's notorious interjections of thrash or noise. It's mezzo-soprano Heather Gardner who delivers what is the album's most immediately arresting performance. In what sounds to be an extremely physically demanding role, Gardner sails through the piece's wordless, meditative vocal cascades with power and grace. Throughout these five movements she provides just the right degree of opaque emotion, as Zorn cagily leaves it to the listener to decide if her impassioned calls are of agony, ecstasy, or some progression between the two.
Constructing a backdrop behind Gardner's vocals is a motley ensemble of woodwinds, strings and percussion, and the group's inquisitive, nimble footwork is frequently reminiscent of Zorn's hero Carl Stalling. This is particularly true in the case of multi-tasking percussionist Jim Pugliese, whose wide-ranging duties here almost make him resemble a foley artist for an old-time radio drama. Utilizing such esoteric instruments as wind machines, bull-roarers, fishing reels, "grave-digging," and bird calls-- for what mystical, alchemical purposes one can only speculate-- Pugliese provides Rituals with a considerable portion of its toothsome, perplexing drama.
Clocking in at just over 20 minutes yet carrying the price tag of a full-length CD, Rituals is not likely to find many fans among bargain hunters. Neither will it hold much appeal for stuffy opera traditionalists or those who aspire to their ranks. But for established Zorn enthusiasts, Rituals is replete with moments to confound, enrich and delight, and will surely lure you to its darkened altar for frequent repeat ceremonies.
By Matthew Murphy

WIRE
Opera Profile: John Zorn’s ‘Rituals’
“Rituals” is a five-act monodrama for mezzo-soprano and 10 instrumentalists composed by American composer John Zorn.
The History
The opera received its first performance at the 1988 Bayreuth Opera Festival, of which Wagner’s Parsifal (conducted by the late James Levine) opened the festival’s activities and where the late German opera director Harry Kupfer premiered a controversial-yet-innovative reimagining of the “Ring Cycle.” It is known that on the work’s premiere audiences were split in their view, many celebrating the work over its novel and experimental nature, while others were vehemently opposed to the work’s a-traditional form. In 2005, the work was reworked into an album and released by Tzadik Records, featuring Heather Gardner as the singer.

The Structure
The opera consists of five movements, and does not feature a libretto or sung text like conventional operatic works. Rather, the mezzo-soprano is given notes and various articulations and dynamics to express, with no indication of the vowel sound she should use. There is also no story or narrative to the opera, the singer and instrumentalists only given notes and left to create their own dramatic arc.
The score’s program notes explain that the work is dedicated towards “exploring the drama of ritual” through the usage of lighting, costuming, set design, props, and other dramaturgical elements. The singer is also not obligated to be on-stage, and if they are on-stage activities can be done, “e.g. water, digging, bullroarers etc.”
It is also optional as to if the piece should be staged, the program notes indicating that if a concert piece, the lighting should be as dramatic as possible, preferably candle light, with smoke rising from behind the stage with “images of esoteric symbols or texts in mystical languages” projected onto a screen behind the smoke.
The work’s texture consists of continuously changing time-signatures and exploratory, and technically challenging, instrumental lines which are specifically marked with articulations, dynamics, and directions, while the vocalist is given an equally as exploratory musical part which frequently jumps octave(s), and demands the singer be technically proficient and able to confidently express emotions through non-text vocalizations.

From the Composer
John Zorn noted that the work had begun from an idea of artistic emancipation from regulation, and the sovereignty of creative expression itself, “My idea was that leaving it open would be an exciting inspiration for a creative theater designer who could listen to the music and take it to some interesting imaginative places visually.”
However, due to the difficulty that artistic freedom poses on practical theater, his idea had become a challenge to actually realize, “Unfortunately what I came to realize was that a paradigm of that kind of creativity and openness is not so conducive to the operatic world.” He had intended on working with the singer but this turned out to be unfeasible given time constraints, “My hope was to work with the vocalist quite closely but they really didn’t give enough rehearsal time to make such a thing possible. Those kinds of open minded experiments are really more possible within an artistic community.”
By John Vandevert

Editor's info:
Owls, Windmachines, Gravedigging and Ritual Magick, Zorn's strange and mystical monodrama for mezzo soprano and ten instruments is presented here in a beautiful new studio recording. Composed for the Bayreuth Opera Festival in 1998, the Rituals premiere was a bit of a scandal, with the audience split down the middle…half outraged detractors, stomping out, whistling and jeering and half cheering supporters. Performed here by a stellar group of Zorn regulars and some very special guests, Rituals is opera at its virtuosic and intimate best. Five movements of magic and alchemy from the crucible of an uncompromising and unpredictable musical maverick.

muzycy:
Jennifer Choi: Violin
Stephen Drury: Piano, Harpsichord, Celeste, Organ
Brad Lubman: Conductor
Tara O'Connor: Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo
Jim Pugliese: Percussion, Wind Machines, Water, Bull Roarers, Gravedigging, Fishing Reels, Paper, Bowls Of BBs, Bird Calls
Fred Sherry: Violincello
William Winant: Percussion, Etc
Heather Gardner: Voice
Peter Kolkay: Bassoon, Contrabassoon
Mike Lowenstern: Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Eb Clarinet
Kurt Muroki: Bass
Jim Pugh: Trombone

utwory:
1. I
2. II
3. III
4. IV
5. V

wydano: 2005
more info: www.tzadik.com
więcej