Catherine Lamb (b. 1982)

[bhodges]

I've now heard two fascinating works by Catherine Lamb: Prisma Interius VI (2017) and divisio spiralis (2019). Both are longish (about an hour), meditative, microtonal, and well worth hearing. Born in the U.S., Lamb now lives in Berlin.

http://www.sacredrealism.org/catlamb/index.html

You can hear divisio spiralis tonight by the JACK Quartet, who gave the premiere:

https://roulette.org/event/jack-quartet-plays-catherine-lamb/

--Bruce

[Artem]

I love her shorter piece for double bass solo that was released on NEOS several years ago. Highly recommended work.

[T. D.]

She has some recordings on Another Timbre.
I haven't heard the most recent one, but I listened to a lot of sound samples last year. I like microtonal music, thought Lamb's pieces were interesting, but didn't purchase any. ISTR being more interested in larger ensemble works at the time (lots of solos and duets in the Another Timbre catalog). Will look for the quartet.

[bhodges]

I love her shorter piece for double bass solo that was released on NEOS several years ago. Highly recommended work.

Thanks! (And I'm positively inclined toward NEOS in general -- excellent label.)

She has some recordings on Another Timbre.
I haven't heard the most recent one, but I listened to a lot of sound samples last year. I like microtonal music, thought Lamb's pieces were interesting, but didn't purchase any. ISTR being more interested in larger ensemble works at the time (lots of solos and duets in the Another Timbre catalog). Will look for the quartet.

And appreciate the Another Timbre recs, too. These smaller labels are invaluable.

--Bruce

[Old San Antone]

I've now heard two fascinating works by Catherine Lamb: Prisma Interius VI (2017) and divisio spiralis (2019). Both are longish (about an hour), meditative, microtonal, and well worth hearing. Born in the U.S., Lamb now lives in Berlin.

http://www.sacredrealism.org/catlamb/index.html

You can hear divisio spiralis tonight by the JACK Quartet, who gave the premiere:

https://roulette.org/event/jack-quartet-plays-catherine-lamb/

--Bruce

I interviewed Catherine back in 2018 for my blog, and it might be interesting for this thread.

Catherine Lamb : interacting points within expanding harmonic space

She discusses the series of works Prisma Interius.

A very interesting young composer.

[bhodges]

I interviewed Catherine back in 2018 for my blog, and it might be interesting for this thread.

Catherine Lamb : interacting points within expanding harmonic space

She discusses the series of works Prisma Interius.

A very interesting young composer.

Thanks, and congrats on the interview. You got some interesting responses from her!

--Bruce

[T. D.]

Just found about a recent (well, 2019) release on New World:

https://www.newworldrecords.org/collections/recent-release-3/products/catherine-lamb-atmospheres-transparent-opaque

Ensemble Dedalus: Didier Aschour, electric guitar, music director; Amélie Berson, wood and metal flutes; Cyprien Busolini, viola; Yannick Guédon, voice, treble viola da gamba; Thierry Madiot, trombone; Pierre-Stéphane Meugé, saxophone, synthesizer; Christian Pruvost, trumpet; Silvia Tarozzi, violin; Deborah Walker, cello, voice

[Mandryka]

Sweet piece called Parallaxis Forma for voice and some instruments

https://www.youtube.com/v/jAN3yCtlkf0

http://www.sacredrealism.org/catlamb/works/scores/2016/Lamb_parallaxis_forma_example_20.pdf

It's on this CD - and makes for quite a contrast with the Niblock - who's much more hardcore! Less sweet.

[T. D.]

Sweet piece called Parallaxis Forma for voice and some instruments

https://www.youtube.com/v/jAN3yCtlkf0

http://www.sacredrealism.org/catlamb/works/scores/2016/Lamb_parallaxis_forma_example_20.pdf

It's on this CD - and makes for quite a contrast with the Niblock - who's much more hardcore! Less sweet.

That (Lamb/Niblock) is an odd pairing. I can understand programming some variety (I've sampled various Lamb discs and found them more "meditative" than my current listening/purchasing preference*), but Niblock's not really to my taste.

*Still 2 feet of snow on the ground and cold, so I've been going for upbeat music.  Almost all of it expected to melt later this week, fortunately.

[Mandryka]

My feeling is that Niblock's music would benefit from a live experience with video and stuff.

[T. D.]

My feeling is that Niblock's music would benefit from a live experience with video and stuff.

Agreed. The little I heard on recording was just too loud.
But I looked around on Youtube and may have to reassess, for instance this piece (Harm) for cello: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDQOqZ_Ml7U

There are good Niblock interviews online, e.g. http://www.paristransatlantic.com/magazine/interviews/niblock.html  and https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/phill-niblock-connecting-the-dots/

[5against4]

My feeling is that Niblock's music would benefit from a live experience with video and stuff.

This. Niblock is much better appreciated live than in recordings. His multiple (1 live + 4 recorded) string quartet piece Disseminate as Five String Quartets was incredible in the live performance i caught at Huddersfield in 2018, but the version on disc didn't really come close to creating a similar kind of experience. You need to be inside it.

Really pleased to see a Lamb thread on here; i've explored a couple of her recent works, not yet recorded:

Prisma Interius V: http://5against4.com/2017/09/07/proms-2017-missy-mazzoli-sinfonia-for-orbiting-spheres-european-premiere-catherine-lamb-prisma-interius-v-emilie-levienaise-farrouch-the-minutes-world-premieres/
(plus a short accompanying interview: http://5against4.com/2017/09/06/proms-2017-pre-premiere-questions-with-catherine-lamb/)
portions transparent/opaque: http://5against4.com/2019/03/27/catherine-lamb-portions-transparent-opaque-world-premiere/

She's a fascinating composer, some overlaps here and there with Eliane Radigue but definitely doing something very unique.