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Sono Luminus

The Holy Liftoff

$16.99

Details

Composer
Terry Riley
Artist
Claire Chase, JACK Quartet
Format
CD
Label
Sono Luminus
Released
Aug 14, 2026
Catalog #
DSL-92290
UPC
053479229007

About

The Holy Liftoff (2024) is the 11th installation of Claire Chase's 24-year Density 2036 project, an initiative to create a bold new repertory for the flute by the 100th anniversary of Edgard Varèse's seminal 1936 flute solo, Density 21.5. Density 2036 has been called "one of the great musical undertakings of our time" by The New York Times, and "a quarter-century journey that has little precedent" by The New Yorker. Terry Riley began composing The Holy Liftoff in 2022 as an open score sketchbook brimming with colorful drawings that were intended to be played by Chase with any number of collaborating musicians. Over the following two years, the sketches evolved into a multidimensional work that now combines extensive through-composed material as well as graphic notation, evocative artwork, and Riley's signature open-form scoring that can be freely interpreted by the performers in variable durations and ensemble formations. Samuel Clay Birmaher's 60-minute realization of the work, which he composed in close collaboration with Riley and the performers, is scored for multiple flutes and string quartet. "When I improvised the first 16 bars of 'The Holy Liftoff' the melody and the chords whispered it's name while simultaneously urging me to make drawings of the experience. The drawings had angels and flying creatures and all the energies were rising up into a surrealistic skyscape... This piece could only have been written for Claire Chase." -Terry Riley

Tracklist 22 tracks

  1. 1 The Holy Liftoff Chorale 05:02
    Track
    1
    Title
    The Holy Liftoff Chorale
    Duration
    05:02
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  2. 2 Chorale March 01:46
    Track
    2
    Title
    Chorale March
    Duration
    01:46
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  3. 3 Hymn 00:57
    Track
    3
    Title
    Hymn
    Duration
    00:57
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  4. 4 Chorale March 2 01:16
    Track
    4
    Title
    Chorale March 2
    Duration
    01:16
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  5. 5 Lift Off Harmony 01:29
    Track
    5
    Title
    Lift Off Harmony
    Duration
    01:29
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  6. 6 Pastorale 01:53
    Track
    6
    Title
    Pastorale
    Duration
    01:53
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  7. 7 Parked Between Two Clouds 01:11
    Track
    7
    Title
    Parked Between Two Clouds
    Duration
    01:11
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  8. 8 Chorale 2 (cameo) 01:12
    Track
    8
    Title
    Chorale 2 (cameo)
    Duration
    01:12
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  9. 9 Pastorale Hymn 00:53
    Track
    9
    Title
    Pastorale Hymn
    Duration
    00:53
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  10. 10 C Major Ishi 04:01
    Track
    10
    Title
    C Major Ishi
    Duration
    04:01
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  11. 11 Interlude 00:42
    Track
    11
    Title
    Interlude
    Duration
    00:42
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  12. 12 E-flat minor Ishi 04:31
    Track
    12
    Title
    E-flat minor Ishi
    Duration
    04:31
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  13. 13 Ishi Dream 03:27
    Track
    13
    Title
    Ishi Dream
    Duration
    03:27
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  14. 14 Pastorale Hymn (Reprise) 01:03
    Track
    14
    Title
    Pastorale Hymn (Reprise)
    Duration
    01:03
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  15. 15 Flying Snakes 01:22
    Track
    15
    Title
    Flying Snakes
    Duration
    01:22
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  16. 16 The Realm of the Silver Balloons 03:11
    Track
    16
    Title
    The Realm of the Silver Balloons
    Duration
    03:11
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  17. 17 The Tragedy of What We Lost 07:28
    Track
    17
    Title
    The Tragedy of What We Lost
    Duration
    07:28
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  18. 18 Angels in the Snooker Parlor 01:59
    Track
    18
    Title
    Angels in the Snooker Parlor
    Duration
    01:59
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  19. 19 Horizon Streakers Rag 02:45
    Track
    19
    Title
    Horizon Streakers Rag
    Duration
    02:45
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  20. 20 All Arise 07:24
    Track
    20
    Title
    All Arise
    Duration
    07:24
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  21. 21 Pulsing Liftors 04:16
    Track
    21
    Title
    Pulsing Liftors
    Duration
    04:16
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet
  22. 22 Escape 03:57
    Track
    22
    Title
    Escape
    Duration
    03:57
    Composer
    Terry Riley
    Performer
    Claire Chase
    Ensemble
    JACK Quartet