Drone Mass

Featuring

Jóhann Jóhannsson
Paul Hillier
Theatre of Voices
American Contemporary Music Ensemble

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Recording & Production

The recording for this album took place in Copenhagen, Garnisonskirken, in May 2019.

Interpretation

For this recording, musician and sound engineer Francesco Donadello, who worked closely with Jóhannsson, located the composer's sound files to create a fixed electronic part.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Jóhann Jóhannsson's Drone Mass is an electroacoustic oratorio inspired by the musical concept of the drone and the drones that patrol our skies.

Composer Biography

Jóhann Jóhannsson, who died suddenly in 2018, took part in all early live performances of Drone Mass, which calls for string quartet, eight voices, and electronics.

Composition History

Drone Mass was commissioned by ACME, the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, and premiered at the Temple of Dendur in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2015.

Compositional Technique

The texts used in Drone Mass are written in Coptic and are full of Gnostic and gnomic imagery, with Jóhannsson often using them for their sounds rather than their meaning.