Wednesday, November 20, 1996
CONCERT:
Artist’s ‘Shrei X’ features intense vocalizing, reminding many
of CallasBy Vanessa VanderZanden
Daily Bruin Contributor
Turn off the lights. Turn up the volume. Now, listen in total
darkness, to Diamanda Galás’ latest album, "Schrei X."
"It deals with extreme isolation. It’s about an animal in a
contained space being attacked repeatedly and shows what a person
has to do in response to that," Galás says.
"Some of the text is from Job from the Bible, which was about a
man tortured to the point of death, but not death. He tries to
figure out why this is happening to him but can’t. It’s just a
battle between Satan and God to see if he’d still be loyal. People
ask ‘why’ to this kind of unanswerable question. It’s
survival."
Having survived a busy tour life last spring with this
emotionally driven piece, Galas currently hits the road with a new
show, "Malediction and Prayer." It stops at L.A.’s Wiltern Theater
Friday. Galás will attend book signings for her newly released
novel, "The Shit of God," as well. Through this trying schedule,
Galás remains creatively intact, able to reflect further on
the intricacies of her dark work, "Schrei X."
"What it is is a series of sections that really require a
technical proficiency," she says of the high-pitched vocal
explosions emitted on the work. "I know where all of the sounds are
placed in the skull. It’s more a classical electronic work. The
sinister giggles towards the end are in reference to a person
having been through so much of a period of torture and laughing in
the face of it  a gallows laugh. As though it’s someone about
to be burned. Their position is immovable."
Originally commissioned for public airwaves, "Schrei X" soon
moved to the stage. The 30 seconds of silence punctuating each of
the 24 short tracks of highly intensive vocal interjections caught
most radio listeners off guard. Yet, the piece, which means
"shriek" in German, allowed for many comparisons between Galás
and opera’s legendary star, Maria Callas. Still, Galás remains
humble in response to the flattering accolades, explaining her
craft with care.
"’Schrei X’ is so demanding, it’s important that I think about
what, emotionally, each piece represents." She claims the same
holds true for her work on "Malediction and Prayer." "I try to
remember what the person who wrote the song’s reasons for writing
the song were and my own reason for performing it. It gives you
power to perform it as an insider."
The show includes songs written not only by Galás but such
varied musicians as Johnny Cash and the Supremes. Galás
presents her own interpretation of the performers’ works, all of
which center around death, loss and remorse. Specifically, she
concerns herself with the idea of a person who "has been alone for
too long and thinking too much." However, she makes a point of
investing a degree of hope into the work, just as she keeps a
sentiment of strength in "The Shit of God."
"The title refers to a person saying ‘I am the things that you
are most afraid of.’ It’s an outsider stance," she explains. "The
work is a collection of texts written since the end of the ’70s,
including (among other performance pieces) ‘Plague Mass,’ which
involves a person (persecuted) for (having) a disease, the way the
AIDS community has been treated. It says ‘my position is immovable.
I am in a position of power.’"
Though much of Galás’ work deals with heavy topics and
serious themes, she sees her work as appealing to a larger audience
than one might think. The electronic music aspect in "Schrei X" may
very possibly attract individuals interested in the techno side of
the ’90s alternative scene. And, while many college kids enjoy
moody pop songs, Galás’ style pushes the genre to the
limit.
"It may be dark, but a lot of it transcends simple darkness,"
she says of her music. "I’ll address something that a lot of us are
going through, but I say something about hope, not just
self-centered, morbid enterprises because that’s not interesting to
me. That’s what the men do in rock."
CONCERT: Diamanda Galás appears at the Wiltern Theater on
Friday. For more info, call (213) 380-5005.
Mute Records
Diamanda Galás brings "Malediction and Prayer" to the
Wiltern Theater Friday.
"’Schrei X’ is so demanding, it’s important that I think about
what, emotionally, each piece represents."
Diamanda Galás
Singer