つい手が出てしまうなあ。
聴くと、悪く云うとマンネリ、聴いたことがあるヴォイスや打楽器やピアノが流れる。だけど、その音世界は懐かしくも手が届かず、追いかけても消えてしまうような、儚い蜃気楼のような、ありもしなかった過去を覗いているような感覚に陥る。
その感覚が強い自家中毒のような作用を呼び、しばしスピーカーの前で微睡んでしまうのだ。
ECM初登場のDolmen musicから35年。そこには揺るぎのない彼女の世界があって、幾たびも幾たびも同じ手で騙されると知っていても、やはり騙され、魅了されるのだ。
声の勢いや、空間を切り裂くような高音（奇声、といってもいい）は影を潜めたが、どこか始原の音楽へ遡行するような素振りに、またもや騙されてしまった。
録音はニューヨークのアヴァター・スタジオ。これまた素晴らしい。少し、高めの音量で聴いていると、様々な楽器が作る冬の森の光景が眼前に広がるような感じ、が嬉しい。
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(ECM2473) Meredith Monk: On Behalf Of Nature (2015)
1. Dark / Light 1 4:27
Keyboards [Keyboard], Violin – Allison Sniffin
Marimba, Marimba [Prepared Marimba], Vibraphone [Prepared Vibraphone] – John Hollenbeck
Piccolo Flute [Burmese Piccolo], Contrabass Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet [B♭ Clarinet] – Bohdan Hilash
Voice – Katie Geissinger, Bruce Rameker, Ellen Fisher, Sidney Chen, Meredith Monk
2. High Realm 1:26
Vibraphone, Marimba, Glockenspiel [Toy Glockenspiel] – John Hollenbeck
Violin – Allison Sniffin
Voice – Katie Geissinger, Ellen Fisher, Bruce Rameker, Allison Sniffin, Meredith Monk
3. Fractal Activity 2:57
Clarinet [B♭ Clarinet], Piccolo Flute [Burmese Piccolo], Recorder [Sopranino Recorder] – Bohdan Hilash
Vibraphone – John Hollenbeck
Voice – Ellen Fisher, Meredith Monk, Katie Geissinger, Sidney Chen, Bruce Rameker, Allison Sniffin
4. Environs 1 1:51
Voice – The Ensemble
5. Eon 2:56
Contrabass Clarinet, Contra-Alto Clarinet, Clarinet [B♭ Clarinet] – Bohdan Hilash
French Horn, Keyboards [Keyboard] – Allison Sniffin
Vibraphone, Marimba – John Hollenbeck
6. Duet With Shifting Ground 5:22
Bass Clarinet, Clarinet [B♭ Clarinet], Flute [Seljefløyte] – Bohdan Hilash
Harp – Laura Sherman
Vibraphone, Marimba – John Hollenbeck
Violin – Allison Sniffin
Voice – Katie Geissinger, Bruce Rameker
Voice [With] – Meredith Monk, Allison Sniffin, Sidney Chen, Ellen Fisher
7. Environs 2 0:56
Percussion [Rasping Stick] – John Hollenbeck
Voice – The Ensemble*
8. Pavement Steps 2:04
Clarinet [E♭ Clarinet], Contrabass Clarinet – Bohdan Hilash
Keyboards [Keyboard] – Allison Sniffin
Marimba [Prepared Marimba], Cymbal [Hi-hat Cymbals] – John Hollenbeck
Voice – Sidney Chen, Ellen Fisher, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Bruce Rameker
9. Evolution 4:40
Contrabass Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet [B♭ Clarinet] – Bohdan Hilash
Percussion, Marimba [Prepared Marimba], Idiophone [Bowed Flexatone] – John Hollenbeck
Violin – Allison Sniffin
Voice – Sidney Chen, Katie Gessinger, Meredith Monk, Bruce Rameker, Allison Sniffin
10. Ritual Zone 4:08
Marimba [Prepared Marimba], Percussion – John Hollenbeck
Violin – Allison Sniffin
Voice – Sidney Chen, Katie Geissinger, Bruce Rameker, Allison Sniffin
11. Water / Sky Rant 5:48
Clarinet [E♭ Clarinet], Reeds [Macauan Bird Calls], Whistle [Burmese Whistles], Flute [Seljefløyte] – Bohdan Hilash
Harp – Laura Sherman
Keyboards [Keyboard], French Horn, Voice – Allison Sniffin
Vibraphone [Prepared Vibraphone], Cuica – John Hollenbeck
Voice – Meredith Monk
12. Memory Zone 4:23
Bass Clarinet, Clarinet [B♭ Clarinet], Clarinet [E♭ Clarinet] – Bohdan Hilash
Harp – Laura Sherman
Keyboards [Keyboard], Violin – Allison Sniffin
Vibraphone, Marimba – John Hollenbeck
Voice – Sidney Chen, Bruce Rameker, Katie Geissinger
13. Environs 3 0:55
Voice – The Ensemble
14. Harvest 3:18
Oboe [Horanåva], Whistle [Burmese Whistles], Flute [Sulittu] – Bohdan Hilash
Percussion, Marimba [Prepared Marimba] – John Hollenbeck
Piano, Keyboards [Keyboard] – Allison Sniffin
Voice – Meredith Monk, Ellen Fisher, Katie Geissinger, Sidney Chen, Bruce Rameker, Allison Sniffin
15. Dark / Light 2 3:07
Bass Clarinet, Clarinet [B♭ Clarinet] – Bohdan Hilash
Keyboards [Keyboard], Voice – Allison Sniffin
Marimba, Bells – John Hollenbeck
Voice – Katie Geissinger
16. High Realm Reprise 1:01
Vibraphone, Marimba, Glockenspiel [Toy Glockenspiel], Cymbal [Hi-hat Cymbals] – John Hollenbeck
Voice – Katie Geissinger, Ellen Fisher, Allison Sniffin, Meredith Monk, Bruce Rameker
17. Fractal Mirror 1:56
Voice – Ellen Fisher, Bruce Rameker, Meredith Monk, Sidney Chen, Katie Geissinger, Allison Sniffin
18. Ringing 3:29
Clarinet [B♭ Clarinet], Bass Clarinet – Bohdan Hilash
French Horn – Allison Sniffin
Harp – Laura Sherman
Vibraphone – John Hollenbeck
Voice – Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Ellen Fisher, Sidney Chen, Bruce Rameker
19. Spider Web Anthem 6:07
Marimba – John Hollenbeck
Piano, Violin – Allison Sniffin
Voice – Allison Sniffin, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk
All Compositions: Meredith Monk
Score Preparation: Allison Sniffin
Ensemble: Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble
Design: Sascha Kleis
Cover Photo: Julieta Cervantes
Engineer: James A. Farber
Engineer [Assistant] : Akihiro Nishimura
Producer: Manfred Eicher
Recorded June 2015, Avatar Studios, New York
Released: 21 Oct 2016
