Customer Reviews

Maxwell Davies: Miss Donnithorne's Maggot / 8 Songs for a Mad King

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Peter Maxwell Davies has taken the emotional and technical range of the human voice further than anyone before him. Extreme extended techniques allow for a full new pallet of timbre and emotion. Not for the traditionalists in classical music.

As the only recording of Eight Songs for a Mad King available at the moment, this is essential listening for lovers of contemporary music and wacky musical theater. Peter Maxwell Davies plays here with the potential of the human voice, forcing the "Mad King" George, played by a fine Julius Eastman, to push himself to the limit, making use of a full 5 octaves. The Fires of London was never a particularly strong group, especially in comparison with modern ensembles of the same instrumentation such as Eighth Blackbird. But despite a dry, studio sound and some technical flubs from the players, they do well enough to not damage the overall recording. There are sections that have made me shiver consistently, through dozens of listenings, in particular Eastman's howling at the end.

Miss Donnithorne's Maggot is an easily forgettable work in comparison to Eight Songs, but its an understandable coupling on this disc, and it doesn't detract from the value.

Both pieces, particularly the "Mad King" are wonderfully excrutiating. I say that in the most complimentary way - far-reaching avant-garde music that is purposeful and energetic and balanced musically and theatrically (as both of these pieces strike me as theatrical as much as they are musical). I don't know what kind of career Julius Eastman had after this recording was made (in the 70's, I think), he is only featured on a couple of Meredith Monk CDs besides this outing, but this piece sounds EXTREMELY TAXING vocally, if not ruinous to the voice. He is superb with this difficult piece, though, despite the challenges, and the recording has been engineered very well.

One might benefit further by watching the film: The Madness of King George III, which I think is a very fine film.

i have listened to the "Eight Songs" three times in my life. I'd say about once every ten years is a good estimate of how often it should be heard. i cannot imagine what it must be like live. I have seen Marat/Sade live, and it was overwhelming, but it's not in the same league with this stuff. Forget Saint-Saens or Mussorgsky, "Eight Songs" is the best Halloween piece ever. If you like contemporary music or just want to be scared out of your wits, you must have this album. Even if you decide not to buy it, I urge you to give it a listen. Your life will never be quite the same again. I promise.

Eight Songs for a Mad King is a fantastic piece of music theater, but it's not the sort of classical music most people would put on for recreational listening. The piece is probably best appreciated in a live performance.

The performance on this recording is spirited, but unfortunately Eastman sings a great many incorrect pitches, rhythms, dynamics, often gets out of sync with the ensemble, and adds lots of silly character voices and random effects where none are called for in the score. A pity.

Assaultively assaultive. With much assaultiveness.
This album is almost completely unlistenable. Eight Songs For a Mad King is one of the most excruciating pieces written for male voice I have ever heard.
I have seen this album, employed on a college campus, as follows:
when the party was over, and it was time for people to go home, you put this album on. Within 20 minutes- no matter how diehard the guests, no matter how much booze- everyone was gone.

I cannot recommend this album for any purpose other than audial torture.