Reviews: BIS recording of Mantra

CD Mantra ‘Recommended’ by MusicWeb International (read full review):
About Lindquist’s Mantra for gamelan and sinfonietta:
“…I am sure many readers will be attracted by the idea of a concerto for gamelan and orchestra, and the centrepiece of this disc is Mantra, composed by an American-Dutch composer Ellen Lindquist whose name, I must confess, is new to me. In recent years she has made her home on the outskirts of Trondheim, and the orchestra’s percussionist, Espen Aalberg co-commissioned this concerto as part of his personal ‘Gamelan as Inspiration’ project. The result is a stately exploration of the beguiling, singular sounds of individual gamelan instruments. It is a hauntingly beautiful, original piece, which contains not a trace of cliché or gimmickry. It radiates a calm which justifies the meditational associations of its title. There is craftsmanship and honesty in the myriad ways Lindquist has attempted to synthesise the sounds of the gamelan with the Western orchestra, but also in the seamless structure of the work, which unfolds with clarity and purity. The harp plays an important role, at times producing bent notes which sound most uncharacteristic of the instrument, but completely chimes with the aesthetic of Mantra.  There are a couple of moments which fleetingly recall Takemitsu’s use of percussion in his late orchestral masterpiece ‘From me flows what you call time’ but this is almost certainly a coincidence, and I mention it only to give the curious reader some idea of the kind of bejewelled sounds that await them. Mantra encompasses an absorbing world of measured, gossamer delicacy, and projects a quiet elegance that merits the deepest contemplation. It moves slowly, rewarding the sympathetic listener with space to reflect as well as the siren allure of its kaleidoscopic sonics. It is difficult to imagine a more involving or focused performance or recording. If the Hosokawa piece which opened the disc sounds terrific in the surround option, Mantra tops it. It is a joy indeed that the BIS engineers can make such hushed music ‘spectacular’.”

“…While all of these pieces demonstrate their composers’ capacity for imaginative instrumental colours and deserve focused, concentrated listening, I have to say that I found Ellen Lindquist’s gamelan concerto Mantra to be one of those rare experiences which offered something completely different; music of integrity and humility yet rich in adventure and daring in its ambition.  In this magnificent performance by these Norwegian musicians, and in superb BIS surround sound, it completely blew me away.”
Richard Hanlon, MusicWeb International

CD Review from Expresso (Portugal’s leading weekly newspaper):
“…Ellen Lindquist’s “Mantra” feels practically restorative: scored for gamelan, and thirteen exquisitely (re)tuned instruments, the work is a marvelous showcase of ingenuity and sensitivity, without any superfluous bric-a-brac and cheap, thrift store chinoiserie. It has a very charming, ecumenical innocence and the sort of spontaneity someone like Steiner would refer to as extraterritorial – built with concentric, ethereal patterns, albeit spectacularly telluric, a geologist would describe it as a beautiful Liesegang ring made of soluble salts. Actually, it sounds as the very salt of life.” (translated from the Portuguese)
—João Santos

New Oboe Music Project

I was very pleased that the New Oboe Music Project chose to feature my music recently.

“This month’s featured composer is one who has written particularly striking and beautiful music for the oboe. It was in 2007 that I heard Ellen’s piece Zosa performed by Laura Karney in Germany. I was immediately struck by how very well she had made use of multiphonics and techniques such as having the oboe play into the piano. Ellen really understood the instrument very well and has composed works that are very strong additions to the repertoire.”

Click here to read!

 

 

About the music of Ellen Lindquist

“Ellen’s music, subtle and refined, is highly expressive and yet free from cliché. Her compositional voice is striking and immediately captures the attention of the listener.”
—Alan Bise, Producer, Azica Records Read more »

Sveriges Radio, Mitt i Musiken: 6 October 2011

Tomas Tranströmer får Nobelpriset/ Tomas Tranströmer is awarded the Nobel Prize

Click here for original radio program on 6 October 2011, Sveriges Radio, Mitt i Musiken.

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Sveriges Radio, Mitt i Musiken: 5 September 2011

Tranströmers lyrik blir opera för första gången/ Tranströmer’s poetry becomes opera for the first time

Click here for original radio program on 5 September 2011 by Sten Sjöström, Sveriges Radio, Mitt i Musiken.

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Review: drömseminarium (dream seminar), 19 June 2009

“Ellen Lindquist’s music is consistently excellent: spacious, but also dense and rich.”
—Friday, June 19, 2009, Johan Lif, Västmanlands Läns Tidning, Sweden

“Ellen Lindquists musik är genomgående utmärkt: spatiös, men också tät och innehållsrik.”
—Fredag 19 juni 2009, Johan Lif, Västmanlands Läns Tidning, Sverige Read more »

Review: För levande och döda (now ‘drömseminarium’), 14 June 2008

Click here to see article by Michael Eriksson, Väsmanlandstidning, 14 June 2008

Review: För levande och döda (now ‘drömseminarium’), 16 June 2007

“When the process was changed to the artistic the results became magnificent. The final piece, Romanska Bågar, was billowing and beautiful, with a free rhythmic flow, richly-coloured instrumentation, and melodies that slid in and out of each other in shimmering balance. … For the Living and the Dead will be premiered in Sweden in 2009 — an event worth the wait.
—Johan Lif, Västmanlands Läns Tidning, Sverige Read more »

Review: I Dream’d in a Dream

“Particularly memorable [was]… the murmuring of (spoken) voices under a violin solo in Lindquist’s “I Dream’d in a Dream.”
—Christopher Hyde, The Portland Press Herald Read more »

Three Excursions

“…An exceptionally interesting and musically challenging piece….  Students will enjoy performing this.”
Martie Perry, Orchestra Director, Crestwood Middle School, Chesapeake, VA Read more »