Cathy Berberian and Music's Muses

     

This richly illustrated anthology (containing more than 120 photographs and images) heralds the 25th anniversary of the demise of Cathy Berberian. The celebrated mezzo-soprano, composer, polyhistor and artistic non-conformist died in March 1983 at the age of 57. Jennifer Paull paints her close friend’s portrait with perceptive detail and personal reminiscences analysing Berberian’s unique standpoint. Paull applies Berberian's comparativist perspective, exploring a miscellany of Music’s fascinating facts, stimulating surprises and other musicians who are quintessentially 'different'. The role of the woman, the lack of division between the Arts; dance, design, fashion, imagination, humour, languages, theatre and wit: these, her eclectic components, shaped the borderless artistic landscape of Cathy Berberian into an ingenious philosophy herein elucidated, illustrated and applied. Cathy Berberian’s due stature in the History of Music has yet to be fully recognised and sufficiently appreciated.

SOME REVIEWS

Laura Kuhn
Director and Trustee
John Cage Trust
September 2009

"Merce Cunningham saw this book and was deeply impressed.
It is a very important work."



Musical Opinion (UK, Founded 1877)
May/June issue 2008

Jennifer Paull has written a very personal, lavishly illustrated and brilliantly researched tale of an artist whose work and personality strongly influenced a number of highly talented composers and fellow artists, including the author. The two were close friends for many years during which Jennifer Paull was making her own career reviving practical interest in the oboe d’amore, [the status of] which she redesigned and to which she brought new life, including many new works by living composers.

Nevertheless, while this book is about Cathy Berberian it inevitably and intelligently places Cathy in her own context. There are eight sections, which carry the story in a thoroughly readable way.

While it is easy enough for her admirers to remember Cathy Berberian, it is time for her importance as an artist and muse to be assessed and she can now be given her rightful place in musical history.

This is a book to read and enjoy in its own right.

…find yourself as fascinated as we all were with this unique, creative woman.
Denby Richards



Agefi Evasion magazine, March 2008
Switzerland

History is not a compendium of unbiased data: rather an hypothesis of accounts and writings. Predominantly recorded by men, to date it has not exactly been sympathetically disposed towards women, the vast majority of whom tends to be forgotten. In fact, this is so much the norm that one could be forgiven for wondering if women ever succeeded in any monetary, political or cultural rôle. What about women artists? In her new book, Jennifer Paull, writing with sensitivity as a close friend, takes pains to sketch the figure of Cathy Berberian (1925-1983), composer, singer and mastermind of many broad-based creative works combining dance, the voice and theatre. Hitherto somewhat overshadowed by Luciano Berio, Berberian comes into view not simply as ‘the wife of’, but as an original creative artist in her own right.
Noémie Etienne



The Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (University of Amsterdam) 'Cathy Berberian: Pioneer of Contemporary Vocality and Performance' conference web site includes mention of this new publication.



The official Cathy Berberian web site features this recent book and articles by Jennifer Paull on the LINKS page.



Music and Vision publish many articles by and about the author. Enter Jennifer Paull in 'Search'.