John Zorn - Hannigan Sings Zorn Volume One

A remarkable meeting of two musical forces of nature finally available on recording! Barbara Hannigan is one of the most fearless and passionate performers in the classical world, and here she sings a challenging program of Zorn compositions with the virtuoso pianist Stephen Gosling. Featured here is the long-awaited recording of Jumalattaret, a song cycle in praise of nine Finnish Goddesses out of Sami Shamanism, and Split the Lark, Zorn’s tribute to the magical American poet Emily Dickinson.

Using a variety of musical techniques and genres, the music moves from lyrical folk-like simplicity to more complex atonal and textural pyrotechnics. Included as a bonus is a rare piece of juvenilia: the charming surrealistic song Nazdar, Poupon, Nazdar. Composed circa 1971, when Zorn was about 17 years old, it is a very early example of Zorn’s multi layered genre smashing. In its brief twominute duration it contains traditional, proportional and graphic notation, and touches upon tonality, atonality, Messiaen birdsong, jazz, cartoon music, lyricism, French recitativo, whispering, vocalise, and vocal noises.