FREE SHIPPING WHEN YOU SPEND OVER $50! Use code FREEMEDIAMAILSHIPPING at checkout!
the album cover for Vocaallab Nederland - Michael Ellison: A Triptych Of Transcultural Opera

Vocaallab Nederland * Michael Ellison: A Triptych Of Transcultural Opera [New CD]

€22,95 Sale

In June 2026, Metier proudly presents composer Michael Ellison's ground-breaking set of Three Transcultural Operas: Mevlana (Say I am you), Deniz Kustu (The Sea Crossed Fisherman), and bozlak opera Binbogalar Efsanesi (Legend of a Thousand Bulls), all performed with the Hezarfen Ensemble, the leading Turkish contemporary music ensemble co-founded by Michael Ellison. Ellison spent ten years working in Istanbul and has imbued these operas with an unprecedented level of integration of Turkish culture, music, and traditional instruments, seamlessly blending them with contemporary music in a unique and personal idiom. Ellison's is a music of singing melody, colour, and contrast, evocative atmosphere, and emotional breadth and has been described as "beautifully crafted, robust, and absorbing" by the American Record Guide. A new, 2026 High Resolution edition of Mevlana (originally released in 2014 on Metier) joins the newly recorded performances of Deniz Kustu and Binbogalar Efsanesi to bring together a first complete triptych of operas. Alongside the audio recordings, Metier will release the complete digital video productions of Deniz Kustu and Binbogalar Efsanesi operas recorded at the Istanbul Music Festival. Mevlana (Say I am You) was the first opera to include Turkish instruments and vocal styles, blended here with Western operatic tradition and based on the poetry of Rumi, the historic mystic. This hypnotic work dramatically traces the story of the transformation of Jelaluddin Rumi (Mevlâna) from ordinary scholar to ecstatic mystic at the hands of wandering dervish Shams-i Tabriz and features the dynamic vocal ensemble VocaalLAB Nederland with the Hezarfen Ensemble. Ellison's second and third operas are compelling tales that resonate with the global challenges of today, both adapted from novels by Yasar Kemal and directed for stage by Simon Jones. Powerful and dramatic, Deniz Kustu (The Sea Crossed Fisherman) tells the tragic tale of village-loner Selim and orphaned street-child Zeynel, integrating traditional Turkish instruments, contemporary elements, and Western opera singers. It's shocking events and environmental repercussions reflect our own current concerns. The opera also celebrates Istanbul, it's seas and marine life, contrasting the real and fantastical seascape of the Bosphorus with the dizzying, teeming metropolis of Istanbul and one small fishing village. "The Sea-Crossed Fisherman is an arresting picture of Istanbul, from it's glittering dawns to it's seething underbelly, and Kemal's... lyrical prose is a good fit for the American composer Michael Ellison... " -James Imam, Opera Magazine. Powerful and moving, Binbogalar Efsanesi (Legend of a Thousand Bulls) is based on the masterpiece novel by Yasar Kemal about the decline and disappearance of the last nomads in Turkey, as their millennia-old pastoral way of life is destroyed. The culmination of an 8-year European Research Council project, "Beyond East and West," Binbogalar Efsanesi is a unique work, sung in Turkish and integrates the dramatic, virtuoso style of traditional bozlak Anatolian folk music voices with contemporary language. Hale Tetik, of Andante Magazine, wrote: "The love, sorrow, grief, and rebellion, emanating from the voice of bozlak singer Fatma Aydogan, were engraved in our hearts." Michael Ellison has been commissioned and performed by major orchestras and festivals across Europe and the US, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Variances, Radio France, Grenoble Festival, New York Youth Symphony, Siemens Foundation, amongst many others. He was principal investigator on the European Research Council project Beyond East and West: Developing and Documenting an Evolving Transcultural Musical Practice (2015-2023) and the PI of the AHRC-Istanbul Development Agency supported project Transtraditional Istanbul. He teaches composition at the University of Bristol, England.

Tracklist:

  1. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Legend of a Thousand Bulls: Prelude
  2. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 1. Aman Dünyada Hersey Var
  3. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 1. Soluk soluga geldiler
  4. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 1. Hay Koca Allah
  5. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 1. Oba'nin çocuklari, korkuyla, kavalcilara bakar
  6. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 1. Allah, Allah, Allah...
  7. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 2. Koca Hizir, Kerem'im ben
  8. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 2. Güzel yildiz, bir göreyim seni
  9. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 2. Halil'in basi, Çukurova'da kislak sorunundan kaynaklanan
  10. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 3. Davul-Sipsi. Kislak Ararken
  11. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 3. Bu güz Çukura inince
  12. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 3. Ben Muhtar Fehmi'yim
  13. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 3. Kalktik Horasan'dan sökün eyledik
  14. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 4. Duyarim tek tek hepsini
  15. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 4. Ceren'e Oktay Bey Kaç yildir sevdali?
  16. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 4. Veririm seni Oktay Bey'e zorla
  17. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 4. Ölelim ama, kendimiz gibi
  18. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 4. Halil'in kani yere göllenir
  19. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 4. Halil'in öldügü haberi gitmis obaya
  20. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 5. Simdi herkes düsman
  21. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 5. (a city fanfare)
  22. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 5. Uzun evler, gecenin içinden heyula gibi
  23. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 5. Aman Çukurova'nin koca beyi
  24. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 5. Hersey degisir bozulur
  25. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 6. Çadirlari saydin mi?
  26. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 6. O ölmüs çocuk!
  27. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 6. Kizlara sevdalanir kara yilan
  28. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 6. Halil, Halil! Gelmedin
  29. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 6. Caption. Ceren kendi gönlünle Oktay Bey'e varmaya karar verir
  30. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 7. Oktay Bey'in babasi
  31. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 7. Tek kaynaktan çiktik
  32. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 7. Caption. Halil beyaz atiyla geldi, kirmizi yakut gözlü
  33. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 8. Açilistaki yildiz manzarasina/betimiemesine dönüs
  34. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 8. Göster bana yildizin', ya Hizir dilegim...
  35. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 8. Kaçsin, kurtulsun
  36. Binbogalar Efsanesi - Legend of a Thousand Bulls~Episode 8. Aman! Bu geceyi mi buldunuz?
  37. Mevlna - Say I Am You~Act I: Tableau 1. I dreamed of a time
  38. Mevlna - Say I Am You~Act I: Tableau 2. I've wandered thirsty
  39. Mevlna - Say I Am You~Act I: Tableau 3. Mevlna, Mevlna
  40. Mevlna - Say I Am You~Act I: Tableau 4. Who's at the door?
  41. Mevlna - Say I Am You~Act II: Tableau 5. The time moves oh, so slowly
  42. Mevlna - Say I Am You~Act II: Tableau 6. My dear father
  43. Mevlna - Say I Am You~Act II: Tableau 7. Did you know, Veled's found Shams
  44. Mevlna - Say I Am You~Act II: Tableau 8. It's been 40 days, like he's in a tomb
  45. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Deniz Küstü —The Sea-Crossed Fisherman: SEA-MUSIC
  46. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 1: Murder here! - A dusty blast from the mad south wind
  47. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 1: Blind to the waves crashing over the asphalt road
  48. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 1: Bastard!' Zeynel was crazy!
  49. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 1: Selim! Bastard! Murderer!
  50. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 1: Silently, I cursed the whole world
  51. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 2: SEA-MUS1C
  52. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 2: It's a month now l've been after him
  53. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 2: I had a dolphin friend once...
  54. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 2: There they were, streaming up to him
  55. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 2: Nobody recalls what year it was when dolphin oil became a precious commodity
  56. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 2: Don't do this! There are many other fish in the sea
  57. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 2: It was then peopIe gave him the nickname: Sea-Crossed Selim
  58. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 2: He went mad, poor fisher Selim
  59. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 2: In the old days, not now
  60. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 3: I killed a man!- announces Zeynel
  61. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 3: Who's that? - Only a fisherman, (Zeynel accused of deception)
  62. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 3: So what... I killed Ihsan!
  63. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 3: Buyurun!
  64. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 3: Bozer!
  65. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 3: Istanbul police showered with tip-offs
  66. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 4: Selim Builds a House
  67. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 4: This spring, I'm gonna buy that land
  68. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 4: Zeynel, my child The police are coming
  69. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 4: Let's build my house at once!
  70. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 4: He'll take her from the sea...
  71. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 4: Don't you know me, Selim? I'm Süleyman
  72. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 4: I want to see Halim Bey Veziroglu!
  73. Deniz Küstü - The Sea-Crossed Fisherman~Scene 4: It wasn't her!

UPC: 809730740121
Label: Metier
Release Date: 6.19.26
Format: CD