Doug Simpson Archive

Olivia De Prato, solo violin – Streya – New Focus 

by Audiophile Audition | Oct 4, 2018 | Classical CD Reviews, Jazz CD Reviews

Olivia De Prato, solo violin – Streya – New Focus FCR 193, 45:04 [3/2/18] ****: Olivia De Prato’s solo violin outing, the 45-minute Streya, is unconventional, idiosyncratic and eclectic. De Prato has previously been a member of John Zorn’s Arcana Orchestra (see 2014’s Fragmentations, Prayers and Interjections). That little bit of musical history should give listeners an idea of what to expect on the six generally avant-garde tracks on Streya, which were written by separate composers over several years. The works—which run in length from five to ten minutes—are influenced by the LGBT community; interstellar occurrences; a dream-like hiking adventure; Bach; and particular prayer services. There is a wide tonal range on Streya, and although only De Prato is heard, she strays from solo violin and at times uses overdubbing, multi-tracking and various electronics to bring to life the multi-dimensional material. De Prato commences with Samson Young’s intense, futuristic “Ageha, Tokyo,” which fuses overdubbed solo violin with extended electronics, including liquid sounds, staccato digital effects and other noises. De Prato’s violin is often dissonant and strident, as if trying to echo a besieged personality or an aggressive altercation. “Ageha” is Japanese for “swallowtail butterfly” but in the CD liner notes […]