 Björk
and the Brodsky
Quartet recorded a composition written by composer John
Tavener, called "Prayer Of The Heart". It was first
heard in photographer Nan Goldin's exhibition, as the soundtrack to
a slideshow of images entitled Heartbeats.
The composition itself is a long, haunting,
song where she sings Kyrie Eleison ("Lord Have Mercy") in English and Greek.
The piece
is now being released as a part of a box set to celebrate the composer's 60th birthday.
Pre order the CD by Tavener, scheduled for release February 2nd
on hmv.co.uk. (link).
Below are few quotes about the project from an interview by Mixing It
in 2001:
-
John Tavener has actually written a piece for you, and you've collaborated
with him.
Yeah, I almost blush. I think it might have been Brodsky's
idea, or something - Brodsky's Quartet [sic], which I was working with a
lot, and I was telling them how much I liked this piece. And they were saying,
'Oh, why don't we just ask him', and I was like [sharp intake of breath]
- you don't just do that, you know - and so, yeah, we recorded it - it's
not out yet - it's a prayer of the heart; he based it on a monk he saw in
India that had been meditating for so long that his body was dead and they
were going to bury him or something, but then they figured out that he was
in such a euphoric state that his body didn't matter any more. And he based
a piece on that, so it's very, very pure.
-
And you just sang it? Or did you contribute more than that?
I
just sang it. But it was incredible for me, something I've never experienced
before, that someone who's obviously a good composer would check out my
range, my vocal range...
-
So he'd listen to your records?
Yeah, and he had to work out - I felt like a gun in
somebody's hand - he had to work out my range, what I could do, and then
just threw this song through me. And you're just like a tool.
-
And was it what you'd expected?
Yeah,
I guess it was already fifty times more than I already had dreamed of, the
whole thing was quite magical…we would spend some times together and
have some dinners…he's really into some pretty full-on debates about
the small things in life, like death and religion and love... |
John Tavener
said about Björk in Guardian Europe, December 1999
"I want to write something for her. I don't see why not. She's far more
intelligent than most classical singers."
Some trivia is
that the piece was conducted by Murray Hipkin, who is also said
to have conducted Björk's performance of Schönberg's operatic piece
'Pierrot Lunaire' at the Verbier Festival in 1996.
|
