Archimedes
Neuma, 2022
9/10
An opera that was performed in a planetarium, the electronic music pioneer James Dashow illuminates the life of the Ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes, where live voices and pre-recorded instruments collide with adventurous, eletronic manipulation.
“Act I: Begin” opens the listen with expressive and expansive singing and talking that is met with quick bouts of winds, percussion and keys, and “Act I: Prologue 1- Prime Mover” follows with an atmospheric and haunting beginning that emits a booming voice amid the fascinating storytelling.
Further on, “Act I: Scene III- Eureka” welcomes several female voices alongside the sounds of random object that give it a sci-fi feel, while “Act I: Scene IV Hieron’s Syracuse” exits this portion with deep vocals against bright winds and tense percussion.
Deeper yet, “Act II: Scene II Chorus 1, Then Archimedes” is all over the place with firm keys, mysterious percussion and plenty of otherworldly sounds, and “Act II: Scene III- Archimedes At War” continues this exploration with a busy, nearly frantic display of soaring vocals and diverse, cinematic instrumentation.
The listen ends on “Epilogue”, where, fittingly, a stream of hazy ambience unfolds with elegant harp populating the calm, charming execution.
A project that took 9 years to complete, Dashow brings on Michael Kelly (Archimedes), Martin Bakari (Marcellus) and Adrian Rosas (Hieron), among many others, for the unorthodox chamber listen, where computer noises are used strategically and the rhythms, harmonies and textures all float around the planetarium in a way that adds an entirely new dimension to the journey.
Travels well with: Daniel Pesca- Promontory; Pan Project- Pan Project