When Chinary Ung set out to compose Spiral IX: Maha Sathukar, he established a union between the two series that had dominated his output - the Spirals series begun in 1987 and a series of works in which musicians were asked to simultaneously perform vocally and instrumentally. Ung?s mentor and friend, the composer Chou Wen-chung, had this to say about Ung's recent work: "Given Chinary's family experience during those years of extraordinary political and social upheaval in Cambodia, inevitably the urge for a modern reincarnation of the ancient practice of chanting would propel him to evolve a methodology for synchronizing conventional, extended, or newly invented instrumental techniques, including percussive sounds on chosen objects, with a rich repertoire of sung, spoken or otherwise vocalized sounds." Both of the compositions on this disc display the extraordinary virtuosity required to perform these fascinating compositions. Also available: Music of Chinary Ung, Vol. 1 (BRIDGE 9277) and Vol. 2 (BRIDGE 9321)
Reviews:
“This is genuinely fascinating stuff. I think all listeners would be engaged in the listening and challenged to try something rewarding and new by hearing this. Congratulations, again, to Bridge Records for continuing to bring forth the unusual but very worthwhile.” - Audiophile Audition
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Spiral XI: Mother and Child (2007)
Susan Ung, viola and voice
Spiral IX: Maha Sathukar (2006)
Thomas Buckner, baritone and percussion
Susan Ung, viola, voice and percussion
Lynn Vartan, percussion and voice
Stephen Solook, percussion and voice
Chinary Ung, conductor
BRIDGE 9368
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