Wet Ink Ensemble Releases Second Edition of New Online Journal, WET INK ARCHIVE

Wet Ink Ensemble today released the second edition of its new online journal of adventurous music and conversation, the Wet Ink Archive.

The second issue features "Echoes, Mirrors, Roses: Behind the Scenes of a New/Old Opera" in which Kate Soper (composer/librettist), Michael Rau (stage director), and Josh Modney (music director/violinist) each share an in-depth look into their work on Soper's forthcoming opera, The Romance of the Rose. The article includes the premieres of excerpts from the opera, performed by Soper and Modney. Co-produced by Peak Performances at Montclair State (NJ) and the Wet Ink Ensemble, the April 2020 premiere performances of The Romance of the Rose were postponed until 2021 due to Covid-19.

In "Wordlike/Noiselike/Pitchlike," composer and Obie Award-winning playwright Rick Burkhardt discusses the process and philosophy behind his theatrically-infused chamber music with Wet Ink Executive Director Josh Modney. Burkhardt's relationship with Wet Ink goes back to 2009, when he began composing his sextet Alban for the group.The article features detailed analysis of Alban, in addition to a wide-ranging discussion in which Burkhardt shares his fascinating take on the metaphorical vs. the "real," on performance practice, and on the tension between words, noise, and pitch in his music.

Wet Ink Executive Director and Archive Editor Josh Modney writes, "I'm thrilled that we have the opportunity to present Rick Burkhardt's work alongside Kate Soper's for Archive 02 as they share a lot of history. Rick directed Kate's first opera, Here Be Sirens (2014), and Kate performed in Rick's opera You My Mother (2012). Furthermore, Rick and Kate are kindred artistic spirits whose work explores similar themes, such as the role of text in music, intelligibility and expressivity, and the intersection between theater and chamber music."

Additionally, in "Toward a Future Practice," multifaceted composer-performer and frequent Wet Ink collaborator Weston Olencki shares reflections on his recent work, including his innovative music for solo brass instruments and recent chamber works written for Ensemble Pamplemousse and Wet Ink, and delves into a philosophy of practice that situates art-making in places and histories.

Archive is a space for artists to share and write about their work without restrictions, and a digital repository for Wet Ink's twenty-plus years of live concert and studio recordings. The mission of Wet Ink Archive parallels that of the Ensemble: sharing the body of work generated within the group, celebrating the music of longtime collaborators, and providing a platform for emerging and underrepresented artists. Each issue will include three articles ranging from personal reflection to detailed musical analysis, accompanied by newly released music and archival documentation. Sign Up to Receive the Wet Ink Archive Here.

The first issue of Wet Ink Archive included Topographies of Interaction, an in-depth discussion between Wet Ink Ensemble members and composers Alex Mincek and Sam Pluta about their works featured on Wet Ink's new album, Glossolalia/Lines on Black, which was released on May 1, 2020 on Carrier Records; in addition to an article from cellist Mariel Roberts on her own compositional and improvisational work and longtime relationship with Wet Ink; plus insights from vocalist Charmaine Lee on building a personal language coupled together with newly released videos of recent work with Sam Pluta and Chris Goudreau.

Further spring/summer editions of Wet Ink Archive will include writing by Ian Antonio, Eric Wubbels, Marina Kifferstein, Peter Evans, Alice Teyssier, and more.

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