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
