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Listening report – Meredith Monk

 

Prof. Dr. Herzogenrath

The Future of Avantgarde-Music

Blaha, Malte C.

Matrikelnummer 7509502

 

Listening report – Meredith Monk

For me, the music of Meredith Monk creates a musical world itself, instead of creating a “musical song”. It sounds like a world to immerse yourself in. Monk’s music stands for the idea of making use of the human voice as an instrument itself, instead of portraying voice-like instruments. As there is no instrument that can trigger emotions so easily and so all-surrounding like the human voice, she seems to make use of it as an universal instrument. The difference is that this instrument – the human voice- has the ability to trigger the same vibe and the same emotions to any listener. It appears, as if Monk figures out what notes a musical world exactly needs and then adds them in favor to this very unique world.

Further, Monk plays rhythmical with the use of canon. She modulates the voice, topples or breaks it. While the human voice can also illustrate order, Monk uses the variety of the human voice to also create disorder. It is also outstanding how Monk’s Lullaby Live can trigger emotions and sounds like an emotional story, without any use of any real wording. At certain times, it seems as if the singers were not in control of their voice, which in turn, displays just how much they are in control of the expression of their voice. There are powerful sounds, mixed with melodic background tones; the voice as a piece of expression, as a powerful tool, that has the ability to tell the story without the need for any real words. A story that is thought and told through the power of voice.

In addition, Monk kind of shows how the voice in general works. This is done through the multiple musical works of her, while most seem in perfect control, providing an atmosphere, they can also very well trigger disturbing and fearful sounds. This is necessary to the extent, that Monk wants to illustrate all possible musical worlds that the human voice might hide. The idea is: we ourselves are capable of creating the atmosphere that we want to deliver.

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