The recordings of Berlin-based violist and composer Catherine Lamb are resonant extensions of contemporary classical chamber style. Lamb utilizes the tuning system Just Intonation and the conceptual discipline of Deep Listening as unifying structural principles, with these foundational qualities profoundly shaped by the work of composer Pauline Oliveros and brought to life on the new LP interius/exterius in collaboration with the nine-piece Ghost Ensemble of New York City. Drone enthusiasts will find much to love in this robust, engaging set, which is available May 9 on limited edition vinyl (300 copies) and digital through the greyfade label.
Catherine Lamb has openly acknowledged the centrality of Pauline Oliveros’ Deep Listening on interius/exterius, with the album’s longform composition in six segments realized through intense and extensive workshopping in New York City by Ghost Ensemble with Lamb in attendance. Their first achievement was a premiere performance at NYC’s Roulette Intermedium in December of 2022. The studio recording took place two years later.
A nonet, Ghost Ensemble consists of Margaret Lancaster on flute, Sky Macklay on oboe, Ben Richter on accordion, Lucia Stavros on harp, Chris Nappi on hammered dulcimer, Martine Thomas on viola, Tyler J Borden on cello, and James Ilgenfritz and Gregory Chudzik on the contrabass. The instrumentation is especially well-suited for the enveloping thickness of sustained drones as the group shares a collective mastery of Just Intonation with Lamb.
Specifically, for interius/exterius, the sonic bedrock is taken completely from the harmonic series of a theoretical 10Hz fundamental; that is, an inaudible frequency in which the overtones establish a rich interweaving of sound. To elaborate further, the 10Hz fundamental is a base-10 tuning system where every pitch can be grasped in connection with the others and creates a unified collective language that thrives in tandem with the individual voices in the ensemble.
Knowledge of the above isn’t necessary to absorb the compositional rigor of the piece, however. The drone aspects do come immediately and sweetly to the fore, but they do so relative to a dialogue of instrumentation that was ordered with clarity through Lamb’s designs and to bring Modernist classical undertones to the work, and most prominently in the middle sections.
The clear sound of harp pluck and dulcimer vibrations add distinguishing dimension to the piece, as does a shift away from the drone in the final section. interius/exterius is a rare union of compositional brilliance and strength in execution. Not only does it succeed as Deep Listening, it benefits from repeated listening.
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