The Hermetic Organ is an album by John Zorn, consisting of a single live improvisation on the Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ of St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University, which was released on Tzadik Records in June 2012.[1][2] The performance was held at 11 PM on the evening of December 9, 2011,[2] which Zorn has noted was a full moon,[3] as an encore to a "Composer Portrait" ensemble performance of his works held earlier that night at the Miller Theatre.[2] It is the first release by Zorn to exclusively document his solo improvisations on the organ, his first instrument.[4] In 2014, Zorn released a second volume of improvisations, The Hermetic Organ Vol. 2.[5]
| The Hermetic Organ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | June 19, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | December 9, 2011 | |||
| Venue | St. Paul's Chapel, Columbia University, New York City | |||
| Genre | Improvised music | |||
| Length | 36:25 | |||
| Label | Tzadik TZ 7399 | |||
| Producer | John Zorn | |||
| John Zorn chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Free Jazz Collective |   |
Lou Reed, who attended the performance, called it a night of "culmination and conquest", and Zorn himself thought highly of the improvisation, calling it "something special" and "a truly magical event."[3] Phillip Coombs of The Free Jazz Collective stated "This is a type of recording that needs to be savored, played loud and with good headphones... this is a very serious recording, especially with the themes he tackles and the environment he tackles them in. Rarely is Zorn recorded solo lately and this alone makes it special".[6]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Office Nr 4" 1. "Introit" 2. "Benediction" 3. "Offertory" 4. "Elevation" 5. "Communion" 6. "Descent" | 36:25 |
Personnel edit
References edit
- ^ "John Zorn: The Hermetic Organ". Tzadik.com. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
- ^ a b c Columbia University Events: John Zorn: Solo Organ Concert, accessed November 8, 2013
- ^ a b Zorn, John (2012). "2011". The Hermetic Organ: St. Paul's Chapel, NYC (Media notes). John Zorn. Tzadik Records. liner notes.
- ^ "John Zorn: The Hermetic Organ At St. Paul's Chapel, NYC". The Hermetic Organ At St. Paul's Chapel, NYC (Media notes). John Zorn. Tzadik Records. 2012. folio.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "John Zorn : The Hermetic Organ vol. 2—St. Paul's Chapel". Tzadik. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
- ^ Coombs, P, The Free Jazz Collective Review, Free Jazz Collective, August 24, 2012