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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 length3:17

$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), Bruce Rameker (voices), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Ellen Fisher (voices), Allison Sniffin (voices), Katie Geissinger (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), John Hollenbeck (percussion), Bohdan Hilash (bass clarinet), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Nadia Sirota (viola)
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), Courtney Orlando (violin), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Nadia Sirota (viola), Todd Reynolds (violin), Allison Sniffin (percussion), Bohdan Hilash (percussion), Peter Sciscioli (voices), Bruce Rameker (voices), Ching Gonzalez (percussion), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Katie Geissinger (voices)
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), John Hollenbeck (percussion), Bohdan Hilash (bass clarinet), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Nadia Sirota (viola)
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), John Hollenbeck (percussion), Bohdan Hilash (bass clarinet), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Nadia Sirota (viola), Courtney Orlando (violin), Todd Reynolds (violin)
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), Ha Yang Kim (cello), John Hollenbeck (percussion), Nadia Sirota (viola), Courtney Orlando (violin), Todd Reynolds (violin), Bruce Rameker (voices), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Ellen Fisher (voices), Allison Sniffin (voices), Katie Geissinger (voices)
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), Peter Sciscioli (voices), Bohdan Hilash (bass clarinet), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Nadia Sirota (viola), Courtney Orlando (violin), Todd Reynolds (violin), Toby Newman (voices), Holly Nadal (voices), Emily Eagen (voices), Sasha Bogdanowitsch (voices), Sidney Chen (voices), Bruce Rameker (voices), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Ellen Fisher (voices), Allison Sniffin (violin), Allison Sniffin (voices), Katie Geissinger (voices)
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), Nadia Sirota (voices), Bohdan Hilash (bass clarinet), Todd Reynolds (violin), John Hollenbeck (voices), Courtney Orlando (voices), Ha Yang Kim (voices), Peter Sciscioli (voices), Holly Nadal (voices), Bruce Rameker (voices), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Ellen Fisher (voices), Allison Sniffin (voices), Katie Geissinger (voices)
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), John Hollenbeck (percussion), Bohdan Hilash (alto saxophone), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Nadia Sirota (viola)
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), M6 (voices), Bohdan Hilash (saxophone), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Nadia Sirota (viola), Courtney Orlando (violin), Todd Reynolds (violin), 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), Ellen Fisher (percussion), Katie Geissinger (percussion), John Hollenbeck (percussion), Bohdan Hilash (percussion), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Nadia Sirota (viola), Courtney Orlando (violin), Todd Reynolds (violin), Allison Sniffin (percussion), Allison Sniffin (voices), Ching Gonzalez (percussion), Ching Gonzalez (voices), Bruce Rameker (percussion), Bruce Rameker (voices)
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), John Hollenbeck (percussion), Bohdan Hilash (bass clarinet), Ha Yang Kim (cello), Nadia Sirota (viola), Courtney Orlando (violin), Todd Reynolds (violin), Peter Sciscioli (voices), Allison Sniffin (voices), Ching Gonzalez (voices)
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), Heather J. Buchanan (chorus conductor), The Todd Reynolds Quartet (string quartet), M6 (voices)
Montclair State University Singers, Vocal Ensemble
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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