Time Will Pronounce
Encyclopedia
Time Will Pronounce: The 1992 Commissions is a 1993 album by Michael Nyman
, his eighteenth release. Nyman does not perform on the album, but he composed all the music, produced it, and wrote the liner notes. The album contains four compositions, each on a separate track
. The album is dedicated to the memory of Tony Simons, "friend, manager, and generous and courageous survivor." The album is named for the second and longest of the four works, the only one featuring a former member of the Michael Nyman Band
, Elisabeth Perry.
James Bowman, countertenor
Fretwork
Inanna
is the Queen of the Heavens in the Sumerian
religion. Nyman found the text on February 12, 1992 in a translation by Samuel Noah Kramer
in Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament
edited by James B. Pritchard
(3rd edition with supplement, Princeton University Press
, 1969), in the personal library of an Armenian
friend. In the hymn, Inanna speaks proudly of all that her father, Enlil
, has given her, and it takes the form of a list. Its audacity, shamelessness, and repetitive structure appealed to him, and thought it would be suitable for James Bowman's voice. He became even more interested in setting the work when he learned that Inanna is well-known deity embraced by many feminists, and not obscure, as he had initially thought. Indeed, she superseded all Sumerian deities, male or female, by the end of the Sumerian civilization. In spite of the last stanza of the piece being the most repetitive, Nyman chose to use cadential diversity rather than repetition.
The work was first performed June 11, 1992 at Christ Church, Spitalfields
in London
. The recording was made the following day at St. Augustine's Church.
Trio of London
The title of Time will pronounce is derived from the closing lines of Joseph Brodsky
's "Bosnia Tune." Nyman uses the word "generally" five times in describing the nature of the work--violin and cello independent of piano, alternating tempi without motivation, use of harmonics, and so on. The piece premiered July 14 at the Pittville Pump Room
, Cheltenham
.
Virginia Black, harpsichord
Commissioned by neurologist
Anthony Roberts for Virginia Black, a fellow student with whom Nyman studied harpsichord at the Royal Academy of Music
, the title refers to a late sixteenth century practice to which Christopher Marlowe
refers in his book, The Reckoning on the death of Christopher Marlowe
, in which lute strings were popular to use as a commodity with moneylenders when money was not available, but Nyman states that this is completely irrelevant to the piece, and that his only musical reference in it is to the closing section of his own opera
, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
, because the piece was commissioned by a neurologist.
This work was first performed November 19 at the Purcell Room
in London, and was recorded at St. Michael's Church
in Highgate
two days later.
London Brass
Mark Bennett was a guest performer on The Kiss and Other Movements
. The piece is named because the work was completed on August 12, 1992, and Nyman read in the newspaper the following day that John Cage
had died, although Cage's influence is not directly felt in the piece, and Nyman acknowledges the piece might not be to his taste. On earlier sheets of the work , he noted the deaths of Miles Davis
(who died September 29, the day it was begun) and Ástor Piazzolla
. The working title for the piece has been "Canons, chorales and waltzes," but Nyman rejected this because there was only one canon, one waltz, and no chorales. The work features a non-simultaneous multiplicity of the group operating more like ensembles that constantly change.
This piece was first performed November 16 at Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford
, Kent
, and was recorded five days later at Abbey Road Studios
.
Michael Nyman
Michael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano...
, his eighteenth release. Nyman does not perform on the album, but he composed all the music, produced it, and wrote the liner notes. The album contains four compositions, each on a separate track
Track (CD)
On an optical disc, a track or title is a subdivision of its content. Specifically, it is a consecutive set of sectors on the disc containing a block of data. One session may contain one or more tracks of the same or different types...
. The album is dedicated to the memory of Tony Simons, "friend, manager, and generous and courageous survivor." The album is named for the second and longest of the four works, the only one featuring a former member of the Michael Nyman Band
Michael Nyman Band
The Michael Nyman Band, formerly known as the Campiello Band, is a group formed as a street band for a 1976 production of Carlo Goldoni's 1756 play, Il Campiello directed by Bill Bryden at the Old Vic...
, Elisabeth Perry.
Self-laudatory hymn of Inanna and her omnipotence
13:55James Bowman, countertenor
Countertenor
A countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or a soprano, usually through use of falsetto, or far more rarely than normal, modal voice. A pre-pubescent male who has this ability is called a treble...
Fretwork
Fretwork (music group)
Fretwork is a consort of viols based in England, United Kingdom. Formed in 1986, the group consisted of six players, while it is currently five viols...
- William HuntWilliam HuntWilliam Hunt may refer to:*William Hunt , MP for Bedford * William Hunt , English clergyman and historian* William Hunt , English Officer of Arms...
, treble viol - Richard Campbell, treble viol
- Julia Hodgson, tenor viol
- Wendy Gillespie, bass viol
- Richard Boothby, bass viol
- Assistant engineers: Alex MarcouAlex MarcouAlex Marcou is a former Australian rules footballer. He played with Carlton and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League during the 1980s....
& David Forty
Inanna
Inanna
Inanna, also spelled Inana is the Sumerian goddess of sexual love, fertility, and warfare....
is the Queen of the Heavens in the Sumerian
Sumerian religion
Sumerian religion refers to the mythology, pantheon, rites and cosmology of the Sumerian civilization. The Sumerian religion influenced Mesopotamian mythology as a whole, surviving in the mythologies and religions of the Hurrians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and other culture...
religion. Nyman found the text on February 12, 1992 in a translation by Samuel Noah Kramer
Samuel Noah Kramer
Samuel Noah Kramer was one of the world's leading Assyriologists and a world renowned expert in Sumerian history and Sumerian language.-Biography:...
in Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament
Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament
Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament edited by James B. Pritchard is an anthology of important historical, legal, mythological, liturgical, and secular texts from the ancient Near East. William W...
edited by James B. Pritchard
James B. Pritchard
James Bennett Pritchard was an American archeologist whose work explicated the interrelationships of the religions of ancient Israel, Canaan, Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon...
(3rd edition with supplement, Princeton University Press
Princeton University Press
-Further reading:* "". Artforum International, 2005.-External links:* * * * *...
, 1969), in the personal library of an Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
friend. In the hymn, Inanna speaks proudly of all that her father, Enlil
Enlil
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. Her poetry was widely popular in both England and the United States during her lifetime. A collection of her last poems was published by her husband, Robert Browning, shortly after her death.-Early life:Members...
, has given her, and it takes the form of a list. Its audacity, shamelessness, and repetitive structure appealed to him, and thought it would be suitable for James Bowman's voice. He became even more interested in setting the work when he learned that Inanna is well-known deity embraced by many feminists, and not obscure, as he had initially thought. Indeed, she superseded all Sumerian deities, male or female, by the end of the Sumerian civilization. In spite of the last stanza of the piece being the most repetitive, Nyman chose to use cadential diversity rather than repetition.
The work was first performed June 11, 1992 at Christ Church, Spitalfields
Spitalfields
Spitalfields is a former parish in the borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London, near to Liverpool Street station and Brick Lane. The area straddles Commercial Street and is home to many markets, including the historic Old Spitalfields Market, founded in the 17th century, Sunday...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The recording was made the following day at St. Augustine's Church.
Time will pronounce
20:35Trio of London
- Elisabeth Perry, violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Melissa Phelps, celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Julian Jacobson, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Assistant engineer: Chris Ludwinski
The title of Time will pronounce is derived from the closing lines of Joseph Brodsky
Joseph Brodsky
Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky , was a Russian poet and essayist.In 1964, 23-year-old Brodsky was arrested and charged with the crime of "social parasitism" He was expelled from the Soviet Union in 1972 and settled in America with the help of W. H. Auden and other supporters...
's "Bosnia Tune." Nyman uses the word "generally" five times in describing the nature of the work--violin and cello independent of piano, alternating tempi without motivation, use of harmonics, and so on. The piece premiered July 14 at the Pittville Pump Room
Pittville Pump Room
The Pittville Pump Room was the last and largest of the spa buildings to be built in Cheltenham.The well from which the Pump Room's waters originate was first exploited by Henry Skillicorne around 1740, about 25 years after the waters were first discovered in 1716. After the visit to Cheltenham in...
, Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
.
The convertibility of lute strings
15:06Virginia Black, harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
- Engineered by Tony Falkner
Commissioned by neurologist
Neurologist
A neurologist is a physician who specializes in neurology, and is trained to investigate, or diagnose and treat neurological disorders.Neurology is the medical specialty related to the human nervous system. The nervous system encompasses the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. A specialist...
Anthony Roberts for Virginia Black, a fellow student with whom Nyman studied harpsichord at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, the title refers to a late sixteenth century practice to which Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. As the foremost Elizabethan tragedian, next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May...
refers in his book, The Reckoning on the death of Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. As the foremost Elizabethan tragedian, next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May...
, in which lute strings were popular to use as a commodity with moneylenders when money was not available, but Nyman states that this is completely irrelevant to the piece, and that his only musical reference in it is to the closing section of his own opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales is a 1985 book by neurologist Oliver Sacks describing the case histories of some of his patients. The title of the book comes from the case study of a man with visual agnosia...
, because the piece was commissioned by a neurologist.
This work was first performed November 19 at the Purcell Room
Purcell Room
The Purcell Room is a concert and performance venue which forms part of the Southbank Centre, one of central London's leading cultural complexes. It is named after the 17th century English composer Henry Purcell and has 370 seats....
in London, and was recorded at St. Michael's Church
St. Michael's Church
St. Michael's Church may refer to:-Albania:*Basilica of Saint Michael, in Arapaj*St. Michael's Church, Berat*St. Michael's Church, Menshat*St. Michael's Church, Moscopole*St. Michael's Monastery Church, Nivan-Germany:* St. Michael, Fulda...
in Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
two days later.
For John Cage
14:23London Brass
- Mark BennettMark BennettMark Bennett may refer to:* Mark J. Bennett, Attorney General of Hawaii* Mark Bennett , former professional snooker player* Mark W. Bennett , U.S. federal judge* Mark Anthony Bennett, Australian geologist and prospector...
, trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air... - Tony Cross, trumpet
- Anne McAneney, trumpet, flugelhornFlugelhornThe flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
- Chris Pigram, trumpet, flugelhorn
- Richard BissillRichard BissillRichard Bissill is a French horn player, composer and arranger, and Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.Born in Leicestershire, he was a member of the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra and he then studied horn and piano at the Royal Academy of Music before joining...
, horn - Lindsay Schilling, tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Richard EdwardsRichard EdwardsRichard Edwards may refer to:* Richard Edwards , Commodore for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador for 1745* Richard Edwards Richard Edwards may refer to:* Richard Edwards (Royal Navy officer) (?–1773), Commodore for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador for 1745*...
, trombone - David PurserDavid PurserDavid Purser is an English soccer player who last played for Real Maryland Monarchs in the USL Second Division.-College:...
, trombone, euphoniumEuphoniumThe euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"... - David StewartDavid StewartDavid Stewart may refer to:*David Stewart, Earl of Strathearn *David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, heir to the throne of Scotland *David Stewart , Scotland international goalkeeper...
, bass trombone - Oren Marshall, tubaTubaThe tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
- Assistant engineer: Tristan Powers
Mark Bennett was a guest performer on The Kiss and Other Movements
The Kiss and Other Movements
The Kiss and Other Movements is the sixth album release by Michael Nyman, and the fifth recording with the Michael Nyman Band. The title track is an "operatic duet" between Dagmar Krause and Omar Ebrahim, based on a painting of the same title by Paul Richards, which is depicted on the cover, and...
. The piece is named because the work was completed on August 12, 1992, and Nyman read in the newspaper the following day that John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
had died, although Cage's influence is not directly felt in the piece, and Nyman acknowledges the piece might not be to his taste. On earlier sheets of the work , he noted the deaths of Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
(who died September 29, the day it was begun) and Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music...
. The working title for the piece has been "Canons, chorales and waltzes," but Nyman rejected this because there was only one canon, one waltz, and no chorales. The work features a non-simultaneous multiplicity of the group operating more like ensembles that constantly change.
This piece was first performed November 16 at Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and was recorded five days later at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
.
Album credits
- Produced by Michael NymanMichael NymanMichael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano...
and Michael J. Dutton - Engineered by Michael J. Dutton (1, 2, and 4)
- Tape editors: Michael Nyman & Michael J. Dutton
- Mixed and edited at Kitsch Studios, BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
- Assistant engineers/mixing/editing (Brussels): Bruno Stevens, Denis Wauthy, Sebastian Lambrechts
- Final editing and mastering on the Sonic Solutions Mastering System at Abbey Road StudiosAbbey Road StudiosAbbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
by Peter MewPeter MewPeter Mew is a British music audio engineer at Abbey Road Studios where he is now senior mastering engineer. He came to Abbey Road in 1965 as a tape operator and has since worked with many artists at the studio... - P & Q encoding by Peter R. Vince at Abbey Road Studios
- Publishers: Chester Music Ltd./Kelly Music Ltd.
- Art direction: David SmartDavid SmartDave Smart is a Canadian basketball coach. He has served as the head men's basketball coach at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario since 1999, leading the Ravens to seven Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championships...
- Photographic art direction and design: Joe Ewart for SocietySocietyA society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
- Cover photo: John Bellars
- Artist representative: Nigel BarrNigel BarrNigel Barr grew up as a member of the High Wycombe Salvation Army band. In 1980 he went to the Guildhall School of Music and studied trombone with Peter Gane and Denis Wick during that time he was also a member of International Staff Band playing bass trombone.Since then Nigel has had a varied...