Electric Fields
Barbara Hannigan, Kati and Marielle Labèque, David Chalmin
Finally a modern classical album hits the top spot, must be a sign of my maturity. While inspired by the very ancient and beautiful music of Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) this is an album with plenty of electronics and sophisticated mixing techniques. These elements lend the album a true sonic variety, with each track holding a unique identity, while never losing the unique and slightly spooky spectral quality. So much so that the bastion of classical music, Gramophone, appears to regard it as some sort of insult saying it is “unresolved thematically and formally crude”. I beg to differ, it is constantly engaging and surprising, and while the electronics can be disorientating, they genuinely refresh the glorious singing and piano playing, this is modern music. We are finally seeing the classical, jazz and contemporary worlds colliding to produce innovative work.
A word on these seasoned performers. This album is inspired and held together by the soprano vocals of Barbara Hannigan. She is a Canadian singer and conductor, specialising in contemporary classical. Her debut album Crazy Girl Crazy (2017) is a hoot, featuring Berio, Berg and Gershwin. She has made 2 albums covering jazz guru John Zorn, as well as being guest conductor for many famous classical orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra. The pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque are French sisters who should need no introduction, having sold millions of records since 1969, covering both classical and contemporary repertoire. Of particular note here is their 2024 album Sonic Wires, which could nearly be a version of Electric Fields without the singing. It also features the electronics and compositions of David Chalmin, who is married to Katia Labèque.
Back in the world of popular music there appears to be nothing happening, it is all remakes, remasters and re-issues. However it has been heartening to see the success of the pseudo classical Lux by Rosalía, which strangely bears similarities to Electric Fields – she sings in fourteen languages so it is equally incomprehensible and was also inspired by Hildegard of Bingen. Perhaps my only other album of note was the fierce and gothic Iconoclasts by Anna Von Hausswolff from Sweden.
Happy Listening!