Tuvan musical group brings throat singing to Earlham
by Michael Skib
Earlham has the remarkably rare opportunity to see cultural ambassadors from the remote region of Tuva, located at the center of Asia. Huun-Huur-Tu, Tuva’s world-famous throat singing ensemble, will be performing with two time Grammy-nominated mixer, producer and electronic music artist Carmen Rizzo and our very own Earlham String Quartet on Saturday, Sept. 26 in Goddard Auditorium.
The quartet consists of sophomore violinists Charlotte-Ann Malischewski and Anna McCormally, sophomore violist David Goldenberg and sophomore cellist Kevin Schmidt.
Understandably excited and nervous, the string quartet is preparing six pieces in which they will participate. Huun-Huur-Tu has been traveling around the world performing with Carmen Rizzo and live strings everywhere they go. “We have a lot to live up to,” noted Schmidt.
Previously, Huun-Huur-Tu has played with such elite musicians as the Kronos Quartet, among many others. Instead of bringing in outside musicians to accompany them, the Earlham music department chose to draw upon the talent we have here.
“It’s really cool that they’re having students perform with them, because it gives them a connection to the campus that outside performers wouldn’t have,” said Goldenberg.
Despite the quartet’s ample musical ability, this show will present them with new challenges. “We have never performed as a quartet before,” said Malischewski. “This is our debut performance.”
This is also music that, though arranged for strings by Mark Governor, is entirely unlike their standard repetoire, said Malischewski. “Rhythmically, and in terms of tonality, it is very challenging,” she said.
“We’re the underdog,” added Schmidt with a chuckle.
The quartet has been coached by John Lardinois, Earlham’s violin and viola instructor.
Only Malischewski had heard of the group before receiving an e-mail from Forrest Tobey, Earlham music professor, in late August. “We proceeded to completely freak out and get excited,” said Malischewski. On Friday, this musical coalition will be playing in Bloomington at the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival, among about 30 other acts.
Though the task is daunting, they are all excited about this opportunity. “Maybe [Carmen Rizzo] will be like, ‘you guys, drop out of college, and I will make your career,’” joked Goldenberg, “That’s the best case scenario right now.”
Tuva is famed for its throat singing, used to imitate sounds heard in nature. The style is also used in the religious practices of shamanism, in order to invoke spirits and call upon ancestors.
Throat singing, more accurately called “overtone singing,” is a style of vocal music that occurs in many cultures around the world. What characterizes overtone singing is the production of multiple distinct pitches simultaneously.
The Tuvan variety is referred to as “Xöömei.” Xöömei is based on the reproduction and representation of the sounds of the surrounding landscape. Imagine being in a land isolated from much of the world by vast mountains, a land where the average temperature in January is minus 26 degrees Fahrenheit, and can reach as low as 60 below zero. These attributes have shaped the character of Tuva’s music: it is often quite desolate and expansive, just like the Mongolian steppe.
Huun-Huur-Tu is perhaps Tuva’s most famous music ensemble. The group is known around the world for preserving such a valuable music tradition. They have been keeping their native sound alive since 1992 ,and their current album “Eternal” exhibits new artistic growth and a sound unlike any of Hunn-Huur-Tu’s previous albums.
Carmen Rizzo’s contribution is being described by All Music Guide as “The perfect sympathetic foil for Huun-Huur-Tu, taking what they do and heightening and shading it … Although never overbearing, he uses instruments, synths, beats (and some strings and brass) to make the group even more shamanic and emotional, as on the utterly breathtaking ‘Orphaned Child,’ where the voices seem to be calling from the wilderness into the void.”
Tickets for students to see this event are free, but limited, so the sooner you obtain them, the better. This is an opportunity to see Earlham on the world’s stage.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
