Monk-ey Business

A brief and rough review of Meredith Monk's Dolmen Music




Meredith Monk has been singing, shrieking, moaning and chanting her way to compositional and performance stardom since she entered the New York arts scene in the 1960’s. The interdisciplinary artist (Monk choreographs, directs and makes films)as well as music) has made a name for herself in the music world by composing for such personalities as Michael Tilson Thomas and earning recognition by pioneering a very different approach to vocal music. Her third album Dolmen Music, released in 1981, shows off her talents as composer, vocalist and innovator. As Beckett reinvented the components of theater to create recognizable but distinctly unique plays, so Monk takes the essence of minimalism and vocalization and creates her own music. The album opens with “Gotham Lullaby,” a wordless but uniquely expressive piece for voice and piano, simple melodies sung on syllables interspersed with what I can only describe as yelping. The entire album highlights Monk’s use of extended vocal techniques, using the voice as an instrument beyond its traditional association with words. The last and longest track, a combination of four pieces under the title of “Dolmen Music,” shifts from beautiful chant to bizarre wavering in the course of twenty three minutes. I am sympathetic with those wary of twentieth century “innovators.” Sometimes modern composers “fresh and different” uses of instruments can become overwhelming and abrasive, but Monk avoids this with comfortingly tonal accompaniments and steady tempos. Her style effectively combines minimalism with experimental music and the output, if peculiar at times, is both challenging and enjoyable.