Litany for the Whale

AMG Review of Litany for the Whale

"Blue" Gene Tyranny
All Music Guide

Named after the longest work on the CD, this is an excellent and beautifully performed collection of familiar and rarely given vocal works by John Cage. It is performed by the Theatre of Voices, directed by Paul Hillier, with guest performer/composer Terry Riley. These include: "Litany for the Whale" (for two voices), "Aria No. 2" (for voice and electronics...rolling thunderclouds and other weather and sounds, with vowels and consonants from five languages), "Five" (for five voices...sustained, pure tones...Cage indicates that the notes "should be brushed into being"), "The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs" (the classic song for voice and closed piano, 1942), "Solo for Voice 22 from the Songbooks" (for two voices and electronics...the multiple "meanings" of breath inflections), "Experiences No. 2" (for solo voice, 1948), "36 Mesostics and not re Marcel Duchamp" (two voices and electronics, 1970), "Aria" (for two voices and electronics...a fascinating new realization for two voices...interesting to compare with the classic solo Cathy Berberian realization, 1958), and "The Year Begins to Be Ripe" (from Songbooks -- Solo for Voice 49, Song with Electronics -- Relevant: The Year Begins To Be Ripe, using a text from Henry David Thoreau's journal...for voice and closed piano, 1970).