On the Torment of Saints, The Casting of Spells and the Evocation of Spirits

Three pieces of magic and religious mysticism performed by a new generation of musical masters. Written as a companion piece to “Walpurgisnacht” (2004), “All Hallows’ Eve” is a tour de force in three movements for string trio—satanic counterpoint for the Witches’ Sabbath. Written as a gift to the ICE ensemble, Zorn wrote “The Tempest” as a musical reading of Shakespeare’s mystical and enigmatic last play. Finally, the virtuosic Chicago-based Fifth House Ensemble performs Zorn’s mini piano concerto in the form of a philosophical dialogue between St. Anthony and his tormentors.