Ld jazz on a summers day jazz documentary film thelonious monk w sheet japan. As a filmmaker, monk has created several awardwinning films including ellis island 1981 and her first feature, book of days 1988, which have screened at numerous film festivals worldwide and on pbs. In the film book of days 1989, scenes of an ancient world in black and white intermingle with scenes of the modern world in color. The films soundtrack was later reworked into the studio version recorded here and scored for 12 voices, synthesizer, cello, bagpipe, hurdygurdy, piano, and hammered dulcimer. Book of days is a film about time, drawing parallels between the middle ages, a time of war, plague and fear of the apocalypse, with our modern times of racial and religious conflict, aids, and the fear of nuclear annihilation films. A film about the experience of immigrants entering america at the turn of the century, ellis island was awarded the cine golden eagle, special jury prize from the atlanta and san francisco film and video festivals films. Since graduating from sarah lawrence college in 1964, she has created more than 80 musictheaterdance and. The film is a rare gem and i urge anybody interested in monk to seek it out. In 1991, monk composed an opera called atlas, commissioned and produced by. Meredith monk what she doesnt do is fall into any one.
One day during summer of 1984, as i was sweeping the floor of my house in the country, the image of a young girl in black and white and a medieval street in the jewish community also in black and white came to me. Since graduating from sarah lawrence college in 1964, she has created more than 80 musictheaterdance and film works. Music by meredith monk produced by catherine tatge and dominique lasseur. Book of days, which opened at the new york film festival, and was later adapted for television.
Meredith monk s film book of days 1988 is a fulllength feature that follows the lives of medieval villagers beset by the plague. She has also written pieces for instrumental ensembles and symphony orchestras. When monk released do you be for ecm in 1987, her work was universally acclaimed for the accessible manner in which it presented the various tonal and elastic possibilities of the human voice. Apart from the film, different versions exist of this piece. This film is a rich and haunting reinvention of medieval life that never loses its contemporary perspective. This is in many ways but not completely the soundtrack to the meredith monk film of the same title. May 17, 2019 directed by amram nowak and supervised by meredith monk. For a better experience on mubi, update your browser. In the early 1990s, monk composed an opera called atlas, which premiered in houston texas in 1991. Monk s featurelength film book of days 1989 played at the new york film festival, and a shorter version aired on television.
Book of days extract a movie from meredith monk, 1988 audio. A perpetual 366 day engagement calendar by diane stein. Monk studied piano and eurythmics from an early age. The cfa presents a screening of two meredith monk films. Her singular style, prolific work, and longstanding success defined her as at once a pioneer and an institution in the relatively new world of performance art. The film s soundtrack was later reworked into the studio version recorded here and scored for 12 voices, synthesizer, cello, bagpipe, hurdygurdy, piano, and hammered dulcimer. Meredith monk brought her exciting education of the. In this remarkably moving film, monk skillfully draws parallels between a time of plague and fear of apocalypse, and our time of aids and fear of nuclear annihilation. Meredith monks tortoise dreams and folk music from another planet. I had the pleasure of seeing the film purely by happenstance a few years after it came out and the sense of quiet and calm, intruded on by intimations of madness and foreshadowings of pestilence, is haunting and made a lasting impression on me. Apr 21, 2010 meredith monks film book of days 1988 is a fulllength feature that follows the lives of medieval villagers beset by the plague. Acclaimed and groundbreaking avantgarde singercomposerchoreographer meredith monks sole feature film is fitfully captivating, enough so that it feels like a waste that she didnt pursue filmmaking further, although it also feels very much like an extension of her performance work and tellingly, the films soundtrack is perhaps betterknown than the film itself.
Meredith monk a pioneer in what is now called extended vocal technique and interdisciplinary performance, monk is the fourth generation singer in her family. In this remarkably moving film, monk skillfully draws parallels between a time of. Meredith monk turtle dreams is an album by american composer and vocalist meredith monk recorded in 1983 and released on the ecm new series label. The first time i encountered the music of meredith monk was in her fascinating, indeed haunting film book of days from 1988 that was shown on pbs. A choreographed version of the work premiered at the plexus club in chelsea, new york and a film version, directed by ping chong, was broadcast the same year on wgbh television in boston, massachusetts. A free screening of two meredith monk films, ellis island 1985 and book of days 1988.
Its a shame meredith monk never directed any other films. Listen free to meredith monk book of days early morning melody, travellers 1, 2, 3 and more. Book of days is the seventh album by meredith monk, released in 1990 through ecm new series. Like most of meredith monks performance works, book of days weaves. Clip edited by michael grenadier, courtesy of the house foundation for the arts.
The film aired on pbs, was shown at the new york film festival and was selected. Directed by meredith monk, produced and codirected by bob rosen, camera by jerry pantzer. American composer meredith monk told me that she wasnt annoyed with the coen brothers for using her walking song as the musical. What we have here on disc is only part of the artwork meredith monk created with her halflength film book of days. Inner voice by filmmaker babeth vanloo, and a cd of monk s archival recordings titled beginnings on john zorns tzadik records, were both released in. Monk has also made several experimental films, and book of days is indeed one of them.
Piano legends laserdisc thelonius monk duke ellington very rare music. Meredith monk meredith monk is a composer, singer, filmmaker and directorchoreographer. The composer, vocalist, dancer, choreographer, director and filmmaker meredith monk celebrates the anniversary of the start of her professional career. Fasti poem, known in english as the book of days, a latin poem by ovid. It deals with a community of jews and christians in the middle ages in time of plague, where the young daughter of a jewish family has visions of 20thcentury technology and society, drawing them on walls. Meredith monks film book of days 1988 is a fulllength feature that follows the lives of medieval villagers beset by the plague. Meredith monk was born on november 20, 1942 in new york city, new york, usa. Ellis island and book of days monday, november 6, 2017 at 7. Meredith monk, american performance artist, a pioneer in the avantgarde, whose work skillfully integrated diverse performance disciplines and media. Since the 1960s, monk has created multidisciplinary works which combine music, theatre, and dance, recording extensively for ecm records. Includes excerpts of meredith monks 1975 film quarry. Book of days has a mythic quality, a sense of displacement. When the plague afflicts a village, this world seems to. The film opens in color, with 20thcentury workmen blasting a brick wall, leaving a hole that opens into a blackandwhite small town in the middle ages.
Meredith monk book of days legendary performing artist meredith monk recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of her professional career as a composer, vocalist, filmmaker, dancer, and choreographer. Meredith monk the american performing artist meredith monk born has earned renown as a composer, singer, dancer, choreographer, filmmaker and critic. Book of days art direction yoshio yabara cinematographer jerry pantzer creative director, music by meredith monk film producer catherine tatge, dominique lasseur 75. Like most of meredith monk s performance works, book of days weaves together characters, music, movement, time and space. The music of book of days also wavers between past and future, rendering the present all but graspable. A pioneer in what is now called extended vocal technique and interdisciplinary performance, monk is the fourth generation singer in her family. In book of days, to be shown tonight at 10 on channel as part of the alive from off center series, she has created a film that is. A guide to meredith monks music music the guardian. In her pieces, the plague of the middle ages is seen as the precursor of aids, while st. Time yugoslavian hala strana fielding last visible dog 2004. Personally i would have liked more of meredith monks music in the film but its absence doesnt make book of days any less affecting. The film aired on pbs, was shown at the new york film festival and was selected for the whitney biennial.
In book of days, to be shown tonight at 10 on channel as part of the alive from off center. Drawing parallels between the black death and monks observation of the aids crisis in new york contemporary to the making of the film, book of days dramatises archetypes in search of and in. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free. Book of days, a 2003 film, starring wil wheaton and isaac hayes disambiguation page providing links to topics that could be referred to by the same search term this disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title book of days. It deals with a community of jews and christians in the middle ages in time of plague, where the young daughter of a jewish family has visions of 20thcentury technology and society, drawing them on. Drawing parallels between the black death and monk s observation of the aids crisis in new york contemporary to the making of the film, book of days dramatises archetypes in search of and in support of humanity. At big ears, the tennessee theatre will host a rare 35mm screening meredith monks 1988 experimental feature film book of days, which monk describes as a film for the ears. Meredith jane monk born november 20, 1942 is an american composer, performer, director, vocalist, filmmaker, and choreographer. At big ears, the tennessee theatre will host a rare 35mm screening meredith monk s 1988 experimental feature film book of days, which monk describes as a film for the ears. Book of days is a film about time, drawing parallels between the middle ages, a time of war, plague and fear of the apocalypse, with our modern times of racial and religious conflict, the aids epidemic, and the fear of nuclear annihilation. An innovator in mixedmedia forms, meredith monk uses music, dance, drama, and film in theater pieces that may move between ancient times and modern, between exotic fantasy and everyday reality. Her films, installations and drawings have been shown in museums and galleries including exit art, frederieke taylor gallery, in two whitney.
Meredith monk ellis island book of days 2007, dvd discogs. Aug, 2014 meredith monk is one of my favorite composers. In fact book of days is for me a desert island disc as the saying goes. In a medieval ghetto, a child envisions a future of airplanes and television. Meredith monk ellis island, book of days entertainment. In the 1980s, monk wrote and directed two films, ellis island 1981, and book of days 1988. Meredith monks fantasy of fascism, newly restored the new.
Many of the pieces from the film which are little more than fleeting musical passages are fleshed out here into fuller, more compositionoriented pieces. Meredith monk discusses with interviewer john killacky the general principles and inspiration for her film works, ellis island, and book of days. Meredith monk american performance artist britannica. Drawing parallels between the black death and monks observation of the aids crisis in new york contemporary to the making of the film, book of days dramatises archetypes in search of and in support of humanity.