A Diva's Personal Mythology

Ágens: Of Heaven and Earth

This is the kind of music that easily makes the reviewer shoot off the target as it is so unique and devoid of clichés that it is difficult to set it in a conceptual frame.

We may give it a try by enumerating some congenial peers from Meredith Monk to Maggie Nichols to Shelley Hirsch or Diamanda Galas but this would not take us closer to the point.

Ági Gyimesi has been digging in her own musical mine for several years to create her own world and she is actually not a relative to the above-mentioned names.

Approaching from the aspect of form ( ie jamming styles from opera to blues) would also be futile .We may create new categories but the music itself would tear them apart for it has no antecedent or master and there will be no followers or disciples of it.

We may call upon poetry to help us: 'Magical songs invoking evil and benevolent spirits, dead souls and living gods. This music breaks into the vaults of the subconscious without desecrating them. Behind the conceptual-rational shield of the mind one may find the traces of primary beauty and harmony of a world order.'

One thing is for sure: this is the first commercially available record by the Hungarian singer Ágnes Gyimesi made in cooperation with Ferenc Boudny.

Strange, deep, intimate, rich, perplexing and beautiful music.

Translated: Gábor Harmati