Litany For The Whale

On this CD:

1. Litany for the Whale, for 2 equal voices
Composed by John Cage
Performed by Paul Hillier, Terry Riley, Alan Bennett, Alan Bennett, Andrea Fullington, Allison Zelles

2. Song Books Volumes I & II (Solos for Voice 3-92), for solo voice Solo for voice 52 (Aria No 2)
Composed by John Cage
Performed by Paul Hillier, Terry Riley, Alan Bennett, Alan Bennett, Andrea Fullington, Allison Zelles

3. Music for..., any combination of 1-17 instrumental parts (title of work is completed by number of instruments used)
Composed by John Cage
Performed by Paul Hillier, Terry Riley, Alan Bennett, Alan Bennett, Andrea Fullington, Allison Zelles

4. The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs, for voice & closed piano
Composed by John Cage
Performed by Paul Hillier, Terry Riley, Alan Bennett, Alan Bennett, Andrea Fullington, Allison Zelles

5. Song Books Volumes I & II (Solos for Voice 3-92), for solo voice Solo for voice 22
Composed by John Cage
Performed by Paul Hillier, Terry Riley, Alan Bennett, Alan Bennett, Andrea Fullington, Allison Zelles

6. Experiences No. 1, for 2 pianos No 2 for two pianos
Composed by John Cage
Performed by Paul Hillier, Terry Riley, Alan Bennett, Alan Bennett, Andrea Fullington, Allison Zelles

7. 36 Mesostics re and not re Marcel Duchamp, for solo voice (any range)
Composed by John Cage
Performed by Paul Hillier, Terry Riley, Alan Bennett, Alan Bennett, Andrea Fullington, Allison Zelles

8. Aria, for solo voice (any range)
Composed by John Cage
Performed by Paul Hillier, Terry Riley, Alan Bennett, Alan Bennett, Andrea Fullington, Allison Zelles

9. Song Books Volumes I & II (Solos for Voice 3-92), for solo voice Solo for voice 49 (The Year Begins To Be Ripe)
Composed by John Cage
Performed by Paul Hillier, Terry Riley, Alan Bennett, Alan Bennett, Andrea Fullington, Allison Zelles

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
John Cage's vocal music helped free the voice from strictly narrative-- and strictly tonal--roles. Reaching as far back as 1942, and as far forward as 1990, this anthology of Cage's vocal works brilliantly shows the full range of shapes the composer wanted for musical voice. The title piece is the most recent and relies heavily on two voices shifting pitches in a rich, polyphony-tinged flow. So much here is vital Cage: from his adaptation of phrases from Finnegan's Wake to Riley reading the "36 Mesostics re and not re Marcel Duchamp," to the outlandish, electronics-infused Aria originally written for Kathy Berberian. Paul Hillier performs these works with his Theatre of Voices ensemble, drawing richly on their early music chops and textural acuity. -- Andrew Bartlett

Litany For The Whale, Music, John Cage, Paul Hillier, Terry Riley, Alan Bennett, Paul Elliott, Andrea Fullington, Allison Zelles, Theatre of Voices, Classical, Classical Music, Electronic/Avant-Garde/Minimalist Music, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous Vocal Music, Music for Assorted/Unusual Instrumentation, Solo Voice and Solo Instrument, Two Solo Voices (with or without Keyboard/Continuo), Vocal, Vocal Music

Litany For The Whale
Average customer rating:

Great recording

Rather good, actually....

go listen to a sonata

One of Cage's least accessible recordings yet.

Litany For The Whale
John Cage , Paul Hillier , Terry Riley , Alan Bennett , Paul Elliott , Andrea Fullington , Allison Zelles , and Theatre of Voices
Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cage, John | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Electronic | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music | Computer
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000007SXT
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

Litany for the Whale
Aria No. 2
Five
The Wonderful Widow Of Eighteen Springs
Solo For Voice 22, From Songbooks
Experiences No. 2
36 Mesostics re and not re Marcel Duchamp
Aria
The Year Begins To Be Ripe

Amazon.com essential recording

John Cage's vocal music helped free the voice from strictly narrative-- and strictly tonal--roles. Reaching as far back as 1942, and as far forward as 1990, this anthology of Cage's vocal works brilliantly shows the full range of shapes the composer wanted for musical voice. The title piece is the most recent and relies heavily on two voices shifting pitches in a rich, polyphony-tinged flow. So much here is vital Cage: from his adaptation of phrases from Finnegan's Wake to Riley reading the "36 Mesostics re and not re Marcel Duchamp," to the outlandish, electronics-infused Aria originally written for Kathy Berberian. Paul Hillier performs these works with his Theatre of Voices ensemble, drawing richly on their early music chops and textural acuity. -- Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Great recording.......2007-04-22

Don't base your opinion of this CD solely off of what some of the other reviewers have said here. Yes, parts of the CD are strange, and yes, some of it is not as accessible as the majority of classical music from the former centuries. But that is precisely what makes this music great. Music doesn't have to be in the form of a sonata or a symphony to have lasting quality. John Cage was one of the people who saw this, and went forth on his own way towards musical enlightenment. Some may not like it, (like the aforementioned reviewers,) but there is still much to be had from listening to his music. That being said, I think this CD is an interesting take on Cage's vocal music. The Theatre of Voices ensemble lend a great early-music sense to these pieces. This sense makes for an interesting and powerful combination of new and old, which is hard to find in the majority of modern music. Much of this recording creates a relaxed mood, especially the "Litany for the Whale" and "Experiences No. 2." A great recording overall, and a worthy contribution to the huge bulk of Cage CD's out there already.

Rather good, actually...........2006-09-24

I really like this CD. The title track is amongst the most haunting composition I've ever heard. The songs The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs, Five, and Experiences No. 2 are quite beautiful. Aria No. 2 is quite strange (with even stranger vocals), but overall it doesn't diminish the work in anyway. Granted, I'm not a Cage expert (I only have a few recordings of his), but I think this is rather good....

go listen to a sonata.......2001-03-04

If I could have given this CD 0 stars, I would have. I do not own it, I merely listened to audio selection #5 up above. That was sufficient to remind me of the inherent problem with contemporary composition. The solo for voice blurs the line between stupidity, and rebelliousness. Certainly Cage made some worthwhile philosophical points, but I consider it an insult to the CD that it was forced to have this garbage imprinted onto it. I applaud 20th century composers for attempting to write music in the face of such overwhelming quality from the past. When what they write is this bad however, I must criticize.

One of Cage's least accessible recordings yet........2000-09-21

As much as I may like to, it's impossible for me to give this recording a favorable review. John Cage is not a bad composer, in fact, he's written quite a few marvelous pieces, like his "Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano." This is cutting-edge music that is taking risks with every note, and yet it is fantastically listenable.

Unfortunately, "Litany for the Whale" doesn't share these characteristics. It is cutting-edge, certainly, and it takes a great deal of risks. But it isn't listenable. At times it's practically painful to listen to it, simply because it is so strange. Cage's twisted nihilistic philosophy is all to evident here. There is no real attempt to make it musical or listenable, and many attempts are made to make it unusual.

Customer Reviews:

A very inconsistent Cage collection.......2003-11-22

Paul Hillier, formerly of the Hilliard Ensemble, is best known for his performances of early music and of the so-called holy minimalists. In this disc he directs an eclectic collection of Cage performances, with distinctly mixed results.

Litany for the Whale takes the form of a call and response between two antiphonally divided singers. The text uses just the letters of "whale" and only five pitches. The first singer sings variations on the original articulation of these pitches--which become more extensive as the work progresses--while the second singer responds to these by repeating the original five notes unmodified. It's a haunting work, though I find 26 minutes of unaccompanied monody a little too much to take.

The two Arias bring very opposite results. I like Hillier's vocal histrionics in the second Aria, and the electronic effects and storm recordings are very much to the point. However, the recording of the first Aria is a disaster. For some reason Hillier decides to split the performance between seven voices, thus ruining the consistent flow of the work, whose effect very much depends on the fact that no single singer could possibly perform the whole work idiomatically. Nobody has yet rivalled Cathy Berberian in this seminal work, and this performance doesn't even come close.

The rest of the works are rather slight. Five impresses in its slow, meditative textures, while Solo for Voice #22 is an intriging exploration of electronically modified breathing sounds. The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs and The Year Begins to be Ripe are two short songs, using the same three pitches and the sound of a performer tapping on a closed piano. They don't outlast their charm, unlike the irritating mock-Irishry of Experiences #2.

Of the entertaining poetry cycle 36 Mesostics re and not re Marcel Duchamp, Cage later turned 15 to music using the same three notes of the two songs earlier mentioned. This performance features Terry Riley (yes, him) reading the unset poems and Hillier singing the musical ones. The result is slight, and rather gimmicky.

This is a very uneven disc. If you want Litany for the Whale, it can be recommended, but there are so many other, superior Cage discs on the market that have a much better claim on any listener's attention.

Expertly rendered Cage.......2003-06-21

John Cage is known for being a raucous composer, but he had a gentler side as well, and both sides are present on this marvelous recording. It begins with what is the disc's highlight, in my opinion: the remarkable "Litany for the Whale." The longest piece on this disc, it is scored for two voices, and has a call and response structure to it. The two male singers, recorded in a resonant chamber, are given five pitches to sing, one assigned to each letter in the word "whale." This is calm, spare, meditative music, unlike anything in the modern repertoire that I have heard. It is really beautiful.

"Five" is another "quiet" Cage piece. In it five men and women sing wordless, sustained pitches, reminiscent at times of Ligeti's "Lux Aeterna." "The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs" is one of my favorite Cage songs. It's a melodic work that features text by James Joyce and has the singer tapping a closed piano, as if a percussion instrument. "Experience #2" is a similar work, melodic and without percussive sounds. A female voice sings a lovely text, penned by ee cummings, which is set off by some lyrical humming as well.

Cage's whackier, more comical side is on display here as well, in the "Arias" and the "Solo for Voice." These voice stretching pieces are fascinating, and expertly rendered here, the electronics integrated in a polished and smooth manner. I can't emphasize enough how entertaining these pieces are.

Paul Hillier's group is ordinarily associated with Renaissance and Baroque era music (as well as music by Arvo Part). It is thrilling to hear these rarefied voices in this avant garde repertoire. More please!

Music Track:

Music Track

music track

Recommended Music:

Strange Weather Lately

An American Prayer

Artur Schnabel Plays Beethoven's Late Piano Sonatas

Music: Dance on the Beach [Import]

Anthology [Import]

Back in Step:The Complete Scottish Ceilidh Dance, Vol. 2 [Import]

And One and Two

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 2, 4, 6

A Stranger to Me Now

Big Band Legends

2g+2 [Import]

Alma Chillout V.2 [Import]

Ambient Diaries, Vol. 3

Bernstein Favorites : Ballet Dances

Groove Me: The Very Best of Guy