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Monk, M: Songs of Ascension

Ellen Fisher, Katie Geissinger, Ching Gonzalez, Meredith Monk, Bruce Rameker, Allison Sniffin (voices), Bohdan Hilash (woodwinds), John Hollenbeck (percussion), Allison Sniffin (violin), Todd Reynolds Quartet: Todd Reynolds (violin), Courtney Orlando (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha-Yang Kim (cello),...

this account, made at New York's Academy of Arts and Letters, has the pristine ambience typical of ECM. Those previously sceptical of Monk should certainly avail themselves of this thought-provoking... — Gramophone Magazine, September 2011 More…

Release Date: 16th May 2011
Catalogue No: 4764307
Label: ECM
Series: New Series
Length: 67 minutes

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Monk, M: Clusters 1

Work length3:19

$0.85

$1.15

Todd Reynolds (violin), Courtney Orlando (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha Yang Kim (cello)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Strand (Gathering)

Work length1:55

$0.85

$1.15

Meredith Monk (voices), Katie Geissinger (voices), Allison Sniffin (voices), Ellen Fisher (voices), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Bruce Rameker (voices)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Winter Variation

Work length1:51

$0.85

$1.15

Todd Reynolds (violin), Courtney Orlando (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Bohdan Hilash (bass clarinet), John Hollenbeck (percussion)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Cloud Code

Work length3:31

$0.85

$1.15

Meredith Monk (voices), Katie Geissinger (voices), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Ching Gonzalez (percussion), Bruce Rameker (voices), Peter Sciscioli (voices), Bohdan Hilash (percussion), Allison Sniffin (percussion), Todd Reynolds (violin), Courtney Orlando (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha Yang Kim (cello)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Shift

Work length1:51

$0.85

$1.15

Todd Reynolds (violin), Courtney Orlando (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Bohdan Hilash (bass clarinet), John Hollenbeck (percussion)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Mapping

Work length2:07

$0.85

$1.15

Meredith Monk (voices), Ching Gonzalez (voices), John Hollenbeck (percussion)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Summer Variation

Work length3:16

$0.85

$1.15

Katie Geissinger (voices), Bruce Rameker (voices), Todd Reynolds (violin), Courtney Orlando (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Bohdan Hilash (bass clarinet), John Hollenbeck (percussion)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Meredith Monk, Mieke van Hoek: Vow

Work length3:12

$0.85

$1.15

Katie Geissinger (voices), Todd Reynolds (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha Yang Kim (cello)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Clusters 2

Work length2:28

$0.85

$1.15

M6 (voices), Heather J. Buchanan (chorus conductor)
Montclair State University Singers
Heather J. Buchanan
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Falling

Work length2:54

$0.85

$1.15

Meredith Monk (voices), Katie Geissinger (voices), Allison Sniffin (voices), Ellen Fisher (voices), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Bruce Rameker (voices), Todd Reynolds (violin), Courtney Orlando (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha Yang Kim (cello), John Hollenbeck (percussion)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Burn

Work length4:16

$0.85

$1.15

Meredith Monk (voices), Katie Geissinger (voices), Allison Sniffin (voices), Allison Sniffin (violin), Ellen Fisher (voices), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Bruce Rameker (voices), Sidney Chen (voices), Sasha Bogdanowitsch (voices), Emily Eagen (voices), Holly Nadal (voices), Toby Newman (voices), Peter Sciscioli (voices), Todd Reynolds (violin), Courtney Orlando (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Bohdan Hilash (bass clarinet)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Strand (Inner Psalm)

Work length3:12

$0.85

$1.15

Meredith Monk (voices), Katie Geissinger (voices), Allison Sniffin (voices), Ellen Fisher (voices), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Bruce Rameker (voices), Holly Nadal (voices), Peter Sciscioli (voices), Ha Yang Kim (voices), Courtney Orlando (voices), Nadia Sirota (voices), John Hollenbeck (voices), Todd Reynolds (violin), Bohdan Hilash (bass clarinet)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Autumn Variation

Work length2:48

$0.85

$1.15

Todd Reynolds (violin), Courtney Orlando (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Bohdan Hilash (alto saxophone), John Hollenbeck (percussion)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Ledge Dance

Work length1:50

$0.85

$1.15

Allison Sniffin (voices), Katie Geissinger (voices), Todd Reynolds (violin), Courtney Orlando (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Bohdan Hilash (saxophone), M6 (voices), Heather J. Buchanan (chorus conductor)
Montclair State University Singers
Heather J. Buchanan
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Traces

Work length1:20

$0.85

$1.15

Todd Reynolds (violin), Courtney Orlando (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha Yang Kim (cello)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Respite

Work length5:56

$0.85

$1.15

Meredith Monk (voices), Bruce Rameker (voices), Bruce Rameker (percussion), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Ching Gonzalez (percussion), Allison Sniffin (voices), Allison Sniffin (percussion), Todd Reynolds (violin), Courtney Orlando (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Ellen Fisher (percussion), Bohdan Hilash (percussion), John Hollenbeck (percussion), Katie Geissinger (percussion)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Mapping Continued

Work length1:29

$0.85

$1.15

Meredith Monk (voices), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Bruce Rameker (voices), Allison Sniffin (voices)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Bohdan Hilash: Clusters 3

Work length2:09

$0.85

$1.15

Bohdan Hilash (woodwinds)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Spring Variation

Work length4:03

$0.85

$1.15

Katie Geissinger (voices), Bruce Rameker (voices), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Allison Sniffin (voices), Peter Sciscioli (voices), Todd Reynolds (violin), Courtney Orlando (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Bohdan Hilash (bass clarinet), John Hollenbeck (percussion)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Fathom

Work length4:37

$0.85

$1.15

Meredith Monk (percussion)
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

Monk, M: Ascent

Work length9:26

$0.85

$1.15

Meredith Monk (voices), M6 (voices), The Todd Reynolds Quartet (string quartet), Heather J. Buchanan (chorus conductor)
Vocal Ensemble, Montclair State University Singers
Heather J. Buchanan
Recorded: 2009-11-18
Recording Venue: Academy of Arts and Letters, NYC

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About

Songs of Ascension is a major new recording from composer Meredith Monk - one of the core artists of ECM New Series - and her vocal ensemble. It finds her playing with the musical, sonic, metaphysical and literal connotations of upward movement. This is her first new album for the label since 2007’s impermanence, so it’s eagerly awaited by her many admirers around the world.

In recent years Meredith Monk’s work has been expanding into the realms of the orchestra and string quartet. Here she teams up with a string quartet of New York players well versed in new music. With winds, percussion and two vocal groups added to her already extraordinary singers, this is one of Monk’s most musically ambitious ventures. Voices and instruments are paired and balanced against each other to an extent rare in her music.

Inspirations for the work included the Song of Ascents, a group of psalms said to have been sung during pilgrimages, and a timely invitation to perform at an eight-story tower designed by visual artist Ann Hamilton. Written in 2008, it is conceived as a continuous composition, a departure from Monk’s earlier collaged or episodic extended works.

Songs of Ascension has been performed live to audiences internationally – including the 2009 Edinburgh International Festival – and received the very highest acclaim. It is a work that refocuses perceptions of what music theatre can achieve.

“Songs of Ascension is a major Monk work. The music is glorious. Monk’s most significant growth over the past decade or two has been as a composer. She is a great master of utterance … a listener feels somehow in communication with another, perhaps wiser, species.” Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times

“No matter what category you put it in or by what criteria you judge it, this is a special experience. I left it feeling unexpectedly moved, deeply grateful and with a sense of privilege for having been there.” The Times

Artists

Montclair State University Singers, Heather J. Buchanan

Reviews

September 2011

this account, made at New York's Academy of Arts and Letters, has the pristine ambience typical of ECM. Those previously sceptical of Monk should certainly avail themselves of this thought-provoking experience.

13th May 2011

Best known for her groundbreaking vocal compositions, Meredith Monk here employs a huge choral complement accompanied by a small ensemble of portable instruments. It's an innovative, provocative but enjoyable work, exploring the relations between voices and instruments...Tremendous stuff.

Monk, M: Songs of Ascension

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