Memoir
Bridge, 2024
8/10
The revered Composer Steve Mackey presents work that combines narration, string quartet and a percussion duo that stems from the unpublished memoir written by his mother, Elaine Mackey.
The emotive strings and playful percussion of “Act 1” starts the listen with 4 diverse chapters that welcome vivid storytelling amid the bright tones that can get quite busy.
“Act II” continues the story with tales of employment, marriage and travel, where dreamy keys, animated percussion and tense strings suit the descriptive narrative. The final portion, “Act III”, sorts through domestic life, as Steve’s voice enters the dialogue that’s soundtracked by subdued and intimate gestures that complement the narrator conquering alcoholism.
Natalie Christa Rakes provides the bulk of the narration, and the Dover Quartet and arx duo flesh out the music that illustrates Mackey’s creative and timeless vision of this unique project.
Travels well with: David Starobin- Virtuosi; George Crumb- Complete Edition, Vol. 21