Terry Riley & Samuel Clay Birmaher: The Holy Liftoff

Featuring

Terry Riley
Claire Chase
Nathan Davis
Christopher Otto
Austin Wulliman
John Pickford Richards

Jay Campbell
JACK Quartet

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Compositional Technique

Terry Riley's approach to repetition in The Holy Liftoff is organic and community-focused, contrasting with the more 'machine-cut' minimalism of composers like Steve Reich.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Terry Riley views The Holy Liftoff as an open-ended work that will continue to evolve, with new drawings and interpretations by performers like Claire Chase.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Terry Riley's musical cartoons in the score are intended to convey a sense of openness and humor, guiding the performer's attitude towards the music and the composer.

Composition History

The section 'The Tragedy of What We Lost' is Terry Riley's memorial to the victims of the Uvalde school shooting in April 2022, with 21 repetitions of chordal material representing each victim.

Compositional Technique

The piece includes sections based on 'ishi' drawings, where 'ishi' is the Japanese word for 'stone,' and features sounds of rubbed and struck stones, as well as recordings of Riley's voice.

Composition History

The Holy Liftoff was created through a collaborative process, with Terry Riley sending material to Claire Chase, who sent back recordings, and Samuel Clay Birmaher developing and arranging Riley's musical cartoons.

Composition History

The initial draft of Terry Riley's The Holy Liftoff was a series of full-color drawings made by Riley at his home in Japan, featuring hand-written notation and cartoon characters.