defixiones reviews

"No Barriers For Vocal Militant"

Diamanda Galas travels light - a piano, a microphone, a barely lit stage and a couple of glamorous frocks are all the diva of darkness needs. "I have nothing to declare except my genius," said Oscar Wilde, and galas could well say the same.

The possessor of one of the most striking voices of our time. Galas goes a step further by being truly original. she is like no other, which makes the promo line "Diamanda is the Maria Callas of my generation" somewhat redundant. I suspect that quote is responsible for the walkouts from Galas's two Sydney recitals. People who didn't read the fine print (the quote comes from a journal called Mojo magazine) possibly thought they were going to hear a hot new soprano in selections from the bel cano repertoire.

Galas is much more interesting than that. She doesn't expand the boundaries of the existing order but smashes through them with sophisticated weaponry. It's often remarked upon that Galas has a voice of unusual range (3 1/2 octaves or so), but that's almost the least of it. She takes those notes and - well, pick any term you like. she whispers, screams, ululates, growls, howls, twists, splits, vamps and much more.

When she's not doing that, Galas can be devastatingly simple, direct and oh so sweet (triumphantly proving that her voice, despite what she asks of it, is in superb shape after 20 years of work).

The technique is quite stagering and would be an impressive end in itself, but Galas is something of a vocal terroristwith more than entertainment on her mind. she has strong political convictions and isn't afraid to go to the edge for them - to go to the edge, and then leap off.

Galas is touring two programs. Defixiones, Will and Testament is a searing meditation on violent death, ranging across languages and musical styles. It's described as a song cycle, which isn't exactly wrong, but it seems such bloodless term for something that, despite the abscence fo physical action, is closer to music theatre because Galas's passion is so strong.

On Wednesday the political gave way (mostly) to the personal with La Serpenta Canta. Here Galas puts her own stamp on soul and blues, with soome standards getting a rigorous workout. When Galas sings I Put a Spell on You, you'd better beleive it.

There's some deadpan humour, too. In the funky Dead Cat on the Line, Galas sings of a lover's new (younger) woman; "She looks more like me than I do myself." Not likely, which is part of the joke. There are no jokes, however, in 25 Minutes To Go, in which the countdown to an excecution is absolutely chilling.

Galas doesn't engage in any stage banter. She simply glides on, guided to the piano by torchlight from the wings. She sings and plays for one hour (Galas is a mesmerising and virtuosic pianist), and leaves. her fervent followers - the goths, the gays, the post-punks, the trnsvestites, the middle-class and middle-aged, the twentysomethings - scream for more.

Galas takes her bows with a faint smile, sings a few more songs, then floats off into the darkness. Magic.