Three new miniature masterpieces from the alchemical crucible of John Zorn. Orphée is a lush romantic work in the French tradition of Debussy, Boulez and Jean Cocteau. Drawing inspiration from both the ancient Greek legend of Orpheus, who ventured to the Underworld to recover his lost love and Debussy’s Sonata for flute, viola and harp, this is one of Zorn’s most emotional and classical compositions, and features the Debussy trio instrumentation augmented by percussion, keyboards and the sparkling electronics of Ikue Mori. Frammenti del Sappho is a breathtakingly beautiful motet for five female voices, and speaks to and for the feminine through a language of Renaissance Minimalism. Ending the program is of course a piece touching on Witchcraft, and Zorn celebrates the Witches’ Sabbath through the dynamic medium of the string trio. Fifteen of the world’s best performers come together in this colorful and revelatory collection of Zorn compositions from 2004.
