Supposedly, the story of Orpheus is one of the most widely known and widely interpreted Greek myths. But in the event that one layer of interpretation isn’t enough to convey the emotional significance of a dude going all the way to the goddamn underworld for the sake of love recently lost, renowned (and busy, busy!) experimental composer Alvin Lucier is here to add even greater depth to the ultimately tragic tale of inimitable attachment.
Poet Hilda Doolittle initially reimagined the myth from the condemned and now resentful Eurydice’s perspective, and Lucier subsequently used H.D.’s poem as the basis for a new composition and a new album, both of which are entitled So You … (Hermes, Orpheus, Eurydice). The composition was first commissioned by the Athens-based series of art exhibitions documenta; and following its premier at documenta 14 in 2017, there was apparently enough of a positive reception to justify a kick-ass formal release. Black Truffle’s doing the honors on November 30.
But it wouldn’t be a piece bearing Lucier’s name if an atypical speaker setup wasn’t used to deliver those esoteric sounds, right? Don’t worry: Black Truffle describes a combined exploration of “resonant chambers” and “interference patterns in closely tuned intervals,” and the musicians commissioned to perform So You include singer Jessika Kenney — plus long-time Lucier confidants, Anthony Burr and Charles Curtis. Audio programmer and UCSD professor, Tom Erbe, mixed the electronics in real-time.
Pre-order the album here. While you sit in a room and wait for its arrival, here’s a throwback to Lucier’s mindset:
So You … (Hermes, Orpheus, Eurydice) tracklisting:
01. So You … (Hermes, Orpheus, Eurydice)