John Zorn — Rituals
The work is divided into five untitled sections at a total of around twenty-four minutes. The wind machine and water sounds come into play almost immediately on the first part. A tort skittish movement that seems to owe more to works by Kagel than any contemporary opera. The objects and water sounds being used as abstract textures through which the regular instruments feed sharp stabs of noise and dissonance. This approach is also adopted by mezzo soprano Heather Gardner who’s voice screeches and stretches across the most bizarre of vocal rhythms and tone patterns. The second movement which is the longest of the five is perhaps the most controlled and at times sedate, where organ tones and William Winants percussion combine in several passages of delicate minimalism in between fierce piano and voice exchanges from Gardner and Drury. I have to admit that the use of voice in this composition borders on the irritating. Gardner produces only vocalisations, no words, and at times it grates beyond all patience.
The third and fourth movements are combinations of jagged blasts of noise and more calm minimal passages. The Celeste and tinkling bell percussion parts are especially pleasing. This part like the whole composition is a harsh mixture of light and shade, here Zorn likes to lull you into a sense of security with long drones and instrumental textures only to smash the atmosphere with blasts of his trademark cartoon cut-up style.
The final section begins with long drawn out notes sung by Gardner with serpentine swaths of clarinet and Winants weird percussion. However Zorn considers this far to sane and adds the sounds of someone digging a hole and a fishing reel being wound up. The piece ends in a far more restrained fashion than most of what has gone before with metallic bowl ringing and piano.
This is certainly the most extreme of all Zorns chamber pieces thus far. However quite how much this extremity is necessary to the music is a matter for debate. The addition of the non musical sounds and the at times hysterical voice of Gardner make one wonder whether he is more interested in shocking than producing great art. The whole spiel on this work is wrapped up in some Crowley magick mysticism and the cover is a copy of an Austin Osman Spare picture. All images ideas and cod darkness that has been and still is done a whole lot more convincingly by Coil, Current 93 et al for the last twenty years. Rituals is another example of Zorns genius and the fact he still has some growing up to do.