TERRY RILEY & AMELIA CUNI: THE LION'S THRONE

This published material between Terry Riley And Amelia Cuni - The Lion's Throne (2019), was taken from live recordings (no recorded applauses) in the United Kingdom and Italy in between 1999 / 2006 and showcases both Riley's and Amelia Cuni's connection with Classical Indian music and its juxtaposition with modern Western canons and tunings.

The Lion's Throne is a 5 track album, its first three tracks ( Lion's Throne, Arica & Crazy World) are piano/vocals based compositions. Their surprise and thrill beyond their enticing transmuting piano structures relies on the female/male counterpointing vocal patterns and their respective lyrical experimentation on ancient and modern texts.

The last 2 tracks are played on different instruments therefore written for a different style of music and a different vocal approach, which to put it in PA's category list of terms, fit easily in the (contemporary) Indo-Prog/Raga (less the Rock plus its rare experimental side, plus again the lyrical reinterpretentions on ancient and modern texts.), sub-genre.

As I listen to it my personal appreciation falls between my ever growing affection for voiceless/textless music (or of only certain vocal registers or texts) and my utter admiration for Mr. Riley's ever growing and challenging, as always original, musical language.

This recorded recollection of live encounters if anything wraps up pretty much Terry Riley's songwriting scopes and his relentless quest as contemporary composer and underlines Amelia Cuni's evident singing talent and on track four: Cantico her composer's one.

So, as I mentioned, not exactly my cup of tea, but it will be absurd to underrate it due to the same.

4 stars.