Angi Mari

Entre 1994 et 1998, l’absence de tout nouvel album studio de la seule chanteuse samì (de Laponie) qui bénéficie d’une renommée internationale, Mari BOINE, alimentait les plus inquiètes interrogations. Et ce n’est pas une simple compilation (Radiant Warmth) dont le contenu reprenait des pièces de ses albums Goaskinviellja (Eagle Brother) et Leahkastin (Unfolding) qui était de nature à nous rassasier (surtout quand on sait qu’un album live autrement pertinent, Eallin, est sorti à la même époque, mais n’a pas été diffusé en France). Et voici que Bálvvoslatjna (Room of Worship), son cinquième opus, paraît sans crier gare pour rasséréner nos consciences.

BIS present a disc of works by the Japanese composer Mari Takano, composed between 2003 and 2009. The four duos and trios that share the title LigAlien are all results of the idea of what would it be like to implant ‘alien’ music into one of Ligeti’s works. Interspersing the four 'LigAliens' are two solo pieces, Jungibility for piano and Full Moon for violin and electronics, which also embrace a wealth of ideas both musical and otherwise from Duke Ellington, Omar Sosa and Stockhausen (Jungibility) and Björk, Pina Bausch and Miles Davis (Full Moon).

The profile of Norwegian soprano Mari Eriksmoen continues to rise through her regular appearance on Europe’s major opera, concert and recital stages, and she is consistently praised for her compelling blend of radiant stage personality and purity of vocal tone. This is her first opera arias recital and is focused on Handel and Mozart. Previously on disc, Eriksmoen features on Schumann’s Szenen aus Goethes Faust with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Daniel Harding, Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail, both with Akademie für alte Musik Berlin under René Jacobs and Glyndebourne Festival conducted by Robin Ticciati, and in a ​“poised, elegant and persuasive” (Guardian) debut recital disc featuring songs by Grieg, Grøndahl, Wolf and Strauss with Alphonse Cemin (Alpha).

In retrospect, the musical direction each of these artists would take was already becoming clear. Since that winter, each of them has found an individual manner of expression based on his or her respective national culture. Mari Boine created an inlet for the musical culture of her people, the Sami, into the great river of World Music, developing a very personal idiom and style from the Sami traditions. Inna Zhelannaya continued to work on her own texts and songs, initially still in collaboration with the popular Russian group Alliance, which accompanied her on this album, later with other Russian musicians.