The Squid's Ear Magazine


Monach, Greta: Fonerga (Edition Wandelweiser Records)

Playful in its seriousness, the sound poetry of Greta Monach (1928-2018), an early proponent of computer generated concrete poetry, and known for her notated sound poem series for four voices, "Fonerga", is performed by University of Victoria voice artists Cathy Fern Lewis, Laura Brandes, Daniel Brandes and Christopher Butterfield; awe-inspiring and exotically amusing.
 

Price: $12.95



Quantity:

In Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 2.00 units

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Greta Monach-composer

Christopher Butterfield-voice

Cathy Fern Lewis-voice

Laura Brandes-voice

Daniel Brandes-voice



Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




UPC: 4011778039600

Label: Edition Wandelweiser Records
Catalog ID: EWR 2125
Squidco Product Code: 31532

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2021
Country: Germany
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold 3 Panels
Recorded at the University Of Victoria, in Victoria, BC, Canada, in 2020 and 2021, by Kirk McNally.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Greta Monach (greta vermeulen) was born in 1928 in The Hague, Netherlands. She spent her childhood in Indonesia and Curaçao.

In 1946 she returned to The Hague. She saw abstract painting for the first time, and started to think about abstract (non-semantic) poetry. For decades she experimented without success. From 1946 to 1948 Monach studied literature at Leiden University, then switched to music. She studied the flute for seven years at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. From 1955 to 1961 she worked in classical music, including chamber and symphonic music, opera, and oratorio.

In 1961 she attended the darmstadt summer course for the first time, exploring contemporary classical music. "Contemporary music" opened a new world to Monach, and in the years that followed she gathered experience in this field, living in Munich at the time. In 1965 she was back in Holland, where she studied electronic music. From 1966 to 1986 she held a job at the Institute Of Sonology in Utrecht and got familiar with computer music. From 1970 on she used the computer to generate concrete poetry (letter-drawings called "automaterga").

Monach is perhaps best known for her series of "Fonerga", notated sound poems for one to four voices. Each comes with a detailed set of instructions for the speakers regarding pronunciation, tempo, dynamics, and rhythm. She was explicit that they not be considered as music, and not performed in any musical context.

Greta Monach died in 2018 at the age of 89.

A note about analysis 78-3

in october 1978, Greta Monach attended the 11th International Sound Poetry Festival in Toronto, Canada. She wrote "Analysis 78-3" shortly before the festival. The piece is made up of syllables found in the phrase "many poets came to Toronto and saw no eskimos." the full phrase itself is spoken only once, at the very end.

Given Canada's journey of reckoning, truth, and reconciliation, and the historical misuse of the word "eskimo" and other harmful labels and stereotypes, we put serious thought into whether to include this piece on the recording. We had conversations with each other and with karla point / hii nulth tsa kaa, indigenous resurgence coordinator in the university of victoria's faculty of fine arts, and came to the decision to include analysis 78-3, but with a responsibility to provide this broader context.

All of Greta Monach's sound poetry is remarkably playful in its seriousness (which is part of what we love about it). Through analysis 78-3, Greta Monach comments on the absurd expectations of non-canadians visiting the country for the first time and expecting to be freezing cold and see polar bears and igloos (even in toronto in october!). We have included this short piece in the spirit of both respect for Greta Monach's work as an artist, and acknowledgment of the work of decolonization that we also take on as performers."-Editions Wandelweiser



This album has been reviewed on our magazine:

The Squid
The Squid's Ear!

Artist Biographies

"Greta Monach (born Greta Vermeulen, 1928-2018) was a Dutch sound poet. She was one of the first to use a computer for writing poetry. Her work has been anthologised in Richard W. Bailey's Computer Poems (1973) as well as Steve McCaffery and bpNichol's Sound Poetry, A Catalogue (1978)."

-Monoskop (https://monoskop.org/Greta_Monach)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Christopher Butterfield. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 1952. Composer.

Born in Vancouver in 1952, Christopher Butterfield moved to Halifax N.S. when he was six weeks old. As a chorister in King's College Choir in the UK, he absorbed the English choral tradition. On his return to Canada in the mid-60's he was immediately exposed to pop radio and the musical and artistic avant-garde. He's been trying to bring all these elements together ever since. After studying composition with Rudolf Komorous at the University of Victoria, and Bülent Arel at SUNY Stony Brook, he moved to Toronto where he became involved in the performance art/sound poetry scene there. Between 1977 and 1982 he mounted installations at Mercer Union, YYZ, and, under the pseudonym Isobel Foot, at the A.K.A. Gallery. He also played lead guitar in the rock band Klo for seven years. In 1992 he moved back to the west coast to teach composition at the University of Victoria. Career highlights include performing Kurt Schwitters' Ursonata on tour with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in the US and Europe in 1996/97; the production of his opera Zurich 1916, at the Banff Summer Festival in 1998; composer in residence of the Victoria Symphony 1999-2002; the premiere of his score for Bill Coleman's dance epic Convoy PQ17 in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2001 (remounted in Victoria in 2013); the first performance of his complete settings of Jacques Prévert's Contes pour enfants pas sages in Toronto by Continuum Contemporary Music and Choir 21 (2012). Recent activities include co-ordinating and curating the Cage 100 Festival in Victoria (2012), celebrating American composer John Cage's centenary; and judging the International Gaudeamus Composition competition in Utrecht, Netherlands (2012), where Bosquet, his piece for 22 flutes and 1 'cello, was performed. His most recent work, parc, a concerto for vibraphonist Rick Sacks and the Aventa Ensemble, toured to New York, Ottawa and Regina this past March.

Over the years Christopher Butterfield has been the recipient of many commissions from the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Ontario and BC Arts Councils. His music has been recorded on the Artifact and CBC labels. His translations of three plays by Paris Dada Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes will be published by Wakefield Press in fall 2014."

-Quatuor Bozzini Website (http://www.quatuorbozzini.ca/en/select/bio/?id=butterfield_ch)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"An ambassador of the professional new music and art scene in Canada since 1974, versatile and experimental soprano/voice artist Catherine Fern Lewis graduated from the University of Victoria, B.C. where she specialized in contemporary music. Lewis spent a further three years in Europe, predominantly in Paris, studying French song with the noted Peirre Bernac, Madame Chereau and Winifred Radford."

-Catherine Fern Lewis Website (https://cathyfernlewis.com/)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Laura Brandes leads the Water Sustainability Project's communications, outreach, and knowledge mobilization activities. Bringing her expertise as a writer, editor, and science communicator, her work focuses on creatively and effectively communicating new research and innovative ideas to a variety of audiences, including communities, media, governments, and practitioners. She has led the Creating a Blue Dialogue webinar series since 2011, which has brought together thousands of expert water practitioners and thinkers, as well as emerging water leaders, to engage with innovative ideas on water policy and governance in Canada. Laura completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph where she studied wildlife biology and music. She is an alumna of the renowned Banff Science Communications Program and has training through both the International Environmental Communication Association and Editors Canada. Laura is the proud mother of Peter. She is also an active musician and co-founder of A Place to Listen, a monthly experimental music concert series in Victoria, B.C."

-University of Victoria (https://www.uvic.ca/research/centres/globalstudies/people/staff/brandeslaura.php)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Daniel Brandes is a husband, father, composer, performer, choir director, and teacher. He lives in Victoria, BC with his wife Laura and son Peter.

Daniel's musical practice aspires to create, and inspire, spaces that are predicated upon gentleness and receptivity as first principles, and that honour and bear witness to our shared human vulnerability.

Daniel is an active member of the Wandelweiser experimental music community. In 2012, Daniel and Laura founded the monthly listening series A Place to Listen, a home for experimental music in Victoria, BC. Daniel is also a founding member (piano, melodica, voice) of the A Place to Listen Ensemble, a community of friends and musicians that has grown and evolved over the course of the A Place to Listen series.

Daniel's music has been performed around the world. He is grateful to the amazing community of artists that has given his music a home, including: A Quiet Night In, Atalier Jaku, Dogstar Orchestra, Extradition Series, KLANGRAUM, Klan dim dach, Quatuor Bozzini, Duo 1010, Same Ensemble, Antoine Beuger, Dante Boon, Cheryl Duvall, Odeya Nini, Leo Svirsky, Andrea Young, and many others.

In addition to his activities as a composer and performer, Daniel teaches at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and is the program director for the ChoirKids outreach initiative. Daniel has also been the music director at James Bay United Church since 2011."

-Editions Wandelweiser (https://www.wandelweiser.de/daniel-brandes.html)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Fonergon 78-1 10:08

2. Analysis 78-3 3:09

3. Fonergon 79-5 20:38

4. Polar Bear Eats Ostrich 4:57

5. Fonergon 85-1 22:03

Related Categories of Interest:


Compositional Forms
Unusual Vocal Forms
Spoken Word
Song Based Music
Quintet Recordings
Canadian Composition & Improvisation
New in Compositional Music

Search for other titles on the label:
Edition Wandelweiser Records.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Butterfield, Christopher
Souvenir
(Reshirt)
Following his collaboration with Montreal's Quatuor Bozzini, British Columbia-based composer Christopher Butterfield draws on members of Aventa Ensemble and the Victoria Symphony to perform four works of "knotty contrapuntal figures and an ever-changing instrumental palette", mischievous works of interesting progression and percussive punctuation.
Other Recommended Releases:
Butterfield, Christopher
Souvenir
(Reshirt)
Following his collaboration with Montreal's Quatuor Bozzini, British Columbia-based composer Christopher Butterfield draws on members of Aventa Ensemble and the Victoria Symphony to perform four works of "knotty contrapuntal figures and an ever-changing instrumental palette", mischievous works of interesting progression and percussive punctuation.
Bondi, Cyril
Ce Qu'il Nous Restera
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Insub.Meta director Cyril Bondi developed this work to question the life course of an artist--their starting point, daily routines and essence--realized through sound and narration in an intimate soundscape of six artists who converge, converse, accompany and answer each other, accompanied by sounds made during warm-ups, rituals and rehearsals.
Underriner, Chaz
Meditations
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Composer and sound artist Chaz Underriner composed these eight meditation in 2021 during residencies at the Atlantic Center for the Arts and the NYU Music Technology studios, recorded at Stetson University in Florida with an ensemble including four vocalists, cello, piano, percussion, electronics and field recordings; beautifully introspective and thought provoking works.
Gerard, Pierre
A Simple Eye
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Putting less focus on the strings and more into sonic environments, French guitarist Pierre Gerard releases a set of eight abstract compositions for voice, guitar, cello, piano, violin, bass clarinet, electronics & field recordings, intended for random playing, employing silence and active sections to catch the passive or background listener off guard.
Roundell, Toby
Meditations On The Great O Antiphons [MP3 CD]
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
A collaboration with German soprano vocalist Irene Kurka from London-born composer currently working in China, Toby Charles Roundell, seven works for unaccompanied solo voice, who have worked for several years exploring psalms, antiphons and books from the minor prophets, in seven contemplative works of spiritual, resonant vocal progressions.
Waeckere, Emmanuelle
A Direction Out There, Readwalking (With) Thoreau [2 CDS]
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Four unique interpretations of David Henri Thoreau's essay "Walking", "a transcendental essay that analyzes the relationship between man and nature, trying to find a balance between society and our raw animal nature." (Wikipedia), performed by Antoine Beuger, Marianne Schuppe, Stefan Thut, Sylvia Alexandra Schimag and Marie-Cecile Reber.
Beuger, Antoine
Laments [2 CDs]
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Wandelweiser composer and performer Antoine Beuger reflects, or more correctly, laments, in nine solo vocal works of profound emotional depth, utterances first on the dearth of time and the vicissitudes and intersections we face; then on mourning and grief, a requiem that extolls the listener to use our voice to confront sadness that we may gain strength from it.
Bober, Max
Somos
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Four works by Argentinian composer Max Bober living in Warsaw, Poland, performed in solo, duo and trio configurations by pianist Alejandro Peña Gutiérrez, flutists Francisco Rojas and Clara Peláez Hidalgo, and soprano Natalia Jarosiewicz; fragile works of depth and beauty that unfold gracefully.
Gerard, Pierre
Imprevu Visible Inverse
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Using guitars, violin, electronics, field recordings, abstract voice, and a "sound knife in the sand", Pierre Gerard recorded this set of 13 works in Liege, Belgium, and Wimereux, France, in 2019, using intuitive approaches to his minimalist electroacoustic compositions as he assembles his elements to convey human gesture and architectural form in sound.
Guedon, Yannick
L'insistance Des Possibles
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
French voice artist and composer Yannick GuŽdon living in Brussels composed this extended work, the title translating to "insistence on possibilities", realized with cellist Deborah Walker and violist Cyprien Busolini, Guédon merging extended utterance into long string drones, contrasted with silence, as the piece moves through very specific placement.
Duplant, Bruno / Pierre Gerard
Soleil Clandestin
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Five "Soleil Clandestin" soundscapes using abstract voice, guitar, electronics, field recordings & percussion from sound artists Bruno Duplant and Pierre Gerard, on the surface peaceful, minimal and using space and silence, but buried inside are disquieting additions through vocal abstractions placed in unusual position to the sound; curious and captivating.
Winter, Michael
Approximating Omega
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Composer Michael Winter uses the "maximally complex, incomputable number" known as Chaitin's Constant, plus text adapted from Gregory Chaitin's 1994 book "The Limits Of Mathematics", samples from 36 creative musicians, the voice of Muirgen Eleonore Gourgues, plus cello from Judith Hamann and piano from Winters, to create this curious and compelling narrative work.
Waeckerle, Emmanuelle
Ode (owed) to O [2 CDs]
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
London-based composer Emmanuelle Waeckerle in a project of spoken word, flute and melodica with contributors including Antoine Beuger, using minimal and multiple narrations in texts that blend erotic literature, conceptual writing and verbal scores, presented as 2 Scores for voice(s) and instrument(s) based upon Pauline Reage's "Story of O".
Good, Kevin
Listen
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Kevin Good organized this composition from four field recordings collected near Avon, CT, isolating sounds that he found interesting and then attempting to recreate them on other instruments, finally adding the human voice sparsely utilized throughout the piece, all to promote the idea of listeners actively paying attention to the sounds of their environment.
Korn, Christoph
Ich Spreche Diesen Text
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Two conceptual compositions from Christoph Korn: the first, "Ich Spreche Diesen" (I appeal to this) where spoken word is placed in a loop and then slowly erased by custom software using aleatory procedures; then "Stille" (Silent), a Cage inspired work.
Cage, John
Empty Words [2 CDs]
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
John Cage's "Empty Words" (1974) is drawn from the Journals of Henry David Thoreau, written in four parts: Part I omits sentences, Part II omits phrases, and Part III omits words. Part IV, which omits syllables, leaves us nothing but a virtual lullaby of letters and sounds.



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought:
Dykstra, Jordan
A Known Unknown [CDr w/ Score Booklet]
(Editions Verde)
A fascinating conceptual work on CD and printed score that attempts to sonically represent celestial events through guided improvisations, providing the performers an abstract of the main musical ideas and options on how to execute them, exploring microtonal sounds, harmonic interactions and sound as moments within physical boundaries, here in a studio realization in Zurich.
Lely, John / Apartment House
Meander Selection
(Another Timbre)
A diverse set of compositions by London composer, performer and improviser John Lely performed by the UK ensemble Apartment House, demonstrating the spectrum of Lely's work across string quartets, solo piano works, a solo electronic piece, and a work for violin, two violas & cello; works of cohesive direction across a variety of approaches and interests.
Quatuor Bozzini
Tom Johnson: Combinations
(Collection QB)
The Montreal string quartet Quatuor Bozzini (Alissa Cheung-violin, Clemens Merkel-violin, Stephanie Bozzini-viola, Isabelle Bozzini-cello) continue their investigation of avant composers, focusing on American composer Tom Johnson through three works or minimalist precision: "Combinations for String Quartet"; "Tilework" and "Four-Note Chords in Four Voices".
Schiller, Christoph
24 Stucke Fur Ein Tasteninstrument
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
24 short works for clavichord from German composer Christoph Schiller and performed by French keyboardist Ed Williams (Heard Of Bears, TANDEM, Grand 8 Ensemble), slowly developing pieces that bring clusters of notes like falling leaves that slowly fade into silence, thoughtful works of space around unanticipated clusters, presented as groups of "Fuge" variations.
Various
Amsterdam . Berlin . Moscow . Losoncy [2 CDs]
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
A double album of experimental works and songs, virtual meetings curated by composer Dante Boon, recorded in the performer's individual cities as ensembles formed from musicians who have never met, including the Moscow duo The Same Ensemble of Sasha Elina and Kirill Shirokov, Amsterdamn's Seamus Cater's Tree Space, Berlin's Konzert Minimal, and sound artist Gabi Losoncy.
Kervinen, Jukka-Pekka
Across / Birds / Lines
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Five extended works of descriptive ambience from Finnish composer and musician Jukka-Pekka Kervinen, working with algorithmic and electronic manifestations over five pieces--four works "Across" and one "Across (Lines)"--based on environmental field recordings of birds and ambiance, structures that he morphs & reiterates to create different facets of a single outdoor space.
Zumthor, Peter Conradin
Things Are Going Down
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
The title's play on words for Swiss percussionist Peter Conradin Zumthor's piano compositions is explained by his performance being effected by piano tuner Rene Waldhauser while playing, the piano being slowly detuned while Zumthor plays a series of aggressive key separations in a percussive manner, the modified tuning generating unexpected turbulence and harmonic overtones.
Seuthe, Marei
Microcosms
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
A member of London Improvisers Orchestra, Wuppertaler Improvisationsorchester, and Insub Meta Orchestra Geneva, cellist Marei Seuthe is primarily involved with classical chamber music, contemporary music, music theatre, but here exposes her playing in a solo sonic exploration of microscopic intent performed on every inch of the cello.
Andric, Andreja
Winter Solstice
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Their association stretching back to their time together in music school, pianist Anita Tomasevich is the perfect interpreter of Serbian composer Andreja Andric's December, exploring a single minor chord in each of six movements, challenging the performer to explore shades of tone color by working through gradual changes; plus Meditation (II) for 2 pianists.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC