Catherine Lamb x Ghost Ensemble — Interius/Exterius (Greyfade)
Composer Catherine Lamb (b. 1983) deals with harmonic spectra and microtones in her work. Slow, staggered presentations of overtones unfold into rich vertical sonorities, with the tiniest shift in intonation serving more as an event than an inflection. Ghost Ensemble (Margaret Lancaster, flute; Sky Macklay, oboe; Ben Richter, accordion; Lucia Stavros, harp; Chris Nappi, hammered dulcimer; Martine Thomas, viola; Tyler J Borden, cello; James Ilgenfritz and Gregory Chudzik, contrabass) is a go-to for adventurous music-making, and they take to Lamb’s with commitment and precision.
Interius/Exterius (2022) is a large-scale piece in which Lamb deals with the spatiality of sounds. As the title suggests, the juxtaposition of internal and external sounds is a primary guiding principle. Here these are defined as sounds working their way to the center of the ensemble grouping and outward to its periphery. Amid sustained winds and strings, the percussive attacks of harp and dulcimer provide signposts for ascertaining this deployment.
Lamb has cited Deep Listening (1986), awork by Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016) recorded in an empty cistern, as an influence. Deep Listening also refers to Oliveros’s practice that became an academic subdiscipline, complete with a program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Interius/Exterius was recorded at Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, not in a cistern, but its production by Matt Sargent and Joseph Branciforte affords the piece a spacious character. This abets the listener’s ascertainment of the movement throughout the ensemble of sonic material. Interius/Exterius would be a great piece to mix for surround sound. As is so often the case, a live hearing would be revelatory.
Lamb has spoken about her recent struggles with interiority and exteriority as a composer and as a person. While one hopes she can reconcile these elements, the ambiguity imparted by Interius/Exterius serves as a fascinating metaphor for the gradual growth that can be found in such lived experiences.
