Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly: NPR Music Field Recordings
Музыка
In a Manhattan studio, some of the musicians behind Planetarium play the album's beautiful closing track.
By Benjamin Naddaff-Hafrey
Early on a spring morning in Manhattan, Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly and Nadia Sirota gathered at Reservoir Studios in Manhattan to play a song first performed five years ago and an ocean away.
"Mercury" is the closing track off Planetarium, a song cycle about the planets by Stevens, Dessner, Muhly and James McAlister. The work was originally composed on commission for the Dutch concert hall Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, and first performed there in 2012. Five turns around the sun later, Planetarium will arrive in recorded form on June 9 via 4AD.
"Mercury" is one of the most intimate songs on the record, a quality that's emphasized by its spot just after the 15-minute, ambient, electronic epic, "Earth." Where the record's other songs foreground synthesizers and spastic electric drum samples reminiscent of 2010's The Age of Adz, "Mercury" largely rests on Muhly's gentle piano work and Stevens' beautiful vocal. Where once, in the original live performances, the song swelled to a cinematic rush on the order of Illinois, it's now spare and elegant. Its warm intimacy is all the more apparent in the group's live performance, which features Dessner of The National lightly doubling on guitar Stevens' wordless refrain at the song's close.
Like many of the pieces on the record, its lyrics are a constellation of the cosmic, the personal and the mythological. The song, named for the messenger god, is a perfect musical setting for the feeling of having something dear carried away from you. "All that I've known to be of life / and I am gentle," Stevens sings. "You ran off with it all."
"Life is so abundant here, and yet we're so obsessed with the exterior of here," Stevens told All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen in a companion interview. "That's what's so interesting, there's a sort of beautiful, perfect order to life on earth that's so mysterious and so profound. And yet, as people, we really fuck it up. We're so dysfunctional. And we seek guidance from the exterior world - from the heavens - to help us understand our purpose here, and to sort of create a sense of order."
Credits:
Producers: Bob Boilen, Ben Naddaff-Hafrey; Director: Mito Habe-Evans; Editor: Nickolai Hammar; Violist: Nadia Sirota; Audio Engineering: Daniel Availa, Fritz Myers, Josh Rogosin, James Yost; Videographers: Annabel Edwards, Mito Habe-Evans, Nickolai Hammar; Series Producer: Mito Habe-Evans; Executive Producers: Anya Grundmann, Keith Jenkins; Special Thanks: St. Rose Music, Mark and Rachel Dibner of the Argus Fund;
Пікірлер: 413
Can you please bring Sufjan to do a desk concert?
@eranavni-singer9189
3 жыл бұрын
PLEASE
@gilihalevi8592
3 жыл бұрын
Eran Avni-Singer I know It’s unrelated but are you from Israel?
@eranavni-singer9189
3 жыл бұрын
@@gilihalevi8592 lol not really but I live there this year
@eranavni-singer9189
3 жыл бұрын
@@gilihalevi8592 and my name is Eran so you can tell my family is from here lol
@gilihalevi8592
3 жыл бұрын
Eran Avni-Singer I’m from there too! Do you know Hebrew?
i just love how Sufjan looks older and softer and maybe smaller with his huge glasses, but his voice is still the same as 15 years ago
@milp00l
6 жыл бұрын
Grandpa Suf
@raspatism
6 жыл бұрын
and his pitching and technique is better than ever.
@eddiedelisio
4 жыл бұрын
You’ll be a babushka too by then
@sophiusdynami3401
3 жыл бұрын
How dare you! He is Daddy Suf!
@norahorphzinger6721
3 жыл бұрын
@@eddiedelisio Babushka Subaru
Sufjan’s voice is too beautiful for this world
This live performance is incomparably greater than the studio version... so so so good.
@bluewildcow
3 жыл бұрын
Hard agree 👍🏾
@yellowshirting
Жыл бұрын
This is my #1 favorite song. Beyond the Beatles, or Stevie Wonder, or anything classic/acclaimed. Really love this song.
This song became my saviour through this quarantine
@julianballarini7
3 жыл бұрын
same
@Habibbbb0
3 жыл бұрын
It heals
I love how he smiles when he sings
Pretty much anything Sufjan touches turns to musical gold
I am so obsessed with this recording! The viola counterpoint to the ethereal guitars and piano is just transcendent.
This is easily one of Sufjan's top 5 songs. The violin adds a different dimension to what we usually get in his songs and I love it. Nobody can do simple vulnerable heartbreak like Sufjan.
@chaiinspace2
4 жыл бұрын
It is very good, but I wouldnt say top 5
sufjan enjoying himself here is the best part of the entire thing
@sandervanatten5459
7 жыл бұрын
That smile at 3:38 just does it for me. Makes my day every time I watch this video
Bryce really gives this song the otherworldly, spacey feel. He has such beautiful touch. Sufjan is one of my favorite musicians, but Bryce makes this performance really special.
Sufjan Steven's voice is a cosmic anomaly, drifting down to us in its unparalleled beauty from the heavenly bodies whence it came.
came here for Sufjan and immediately found myself blown away by Nadia Sirota’s skill
The first half of the song speaks to the loss of innocence and attachment trauma experience I had through most of my life. When I listen to the second half, I imagine myself racing through the universe collecting pieces of myself and putting myself together again. Making my way back to who I was meant to be. The violin in this version adds to the beauty of my vision, helps me to "feel" that vibration in my whole body!
That violin adds an entirely new dimension to the composition. Audibly stunning.
@emerythul4531
7 жыл бұрын
The Gift Of Gob I'm pretty sure it's a viola, actually
@davidmooreulster
7 жыл бұрын
The Gift Of Gob Yeah it's a viola. Still beautiful though
@omarisifontes565
7 жыл бұрын
The Gift Of Gob These Nerds 😋Nah JP😅
@littlecabininthebigwoods5720
2 жыл бұрын
It really compliments that clavichord and the sitars.
This is so beautiful. I wish there was a documentary on the cosmos with the late Stephen Hawking where Sufjan Stevens made the score and Sir Attenborough narrate the whole thing.
So love this version with violist Nadia Sirota! Sublime....
I love hearing the viola player's breath sound during her solo. :D
Imo, Sufjan is at his peak right now vocally. This was flawless!
@igloozoo3771
2 жыл бұрын
Agree. I remember hearing this song on Spotify and I did not know he had that Operatic voice in him.
I swear I'm at that point where I've almost completely lost hope in literally every aspect of life; But the upcoming release of the studio version of this album is what keeps me going at this moment. I don't know what I'll do after it but just wanna state that Sufjan Stevens has helped me going through a lot of tough times and I'm thankful. This era of music makes me proud as a human being. Thanks NPR for posting this; I'd love to see him on a Tiny Desk Concert. Edit: It’s been almost a year since I commented on here, and I must say, I’m blown away by this great community I’m a part of. Music really does bring people together. Your beautiful responses has brought tears to my eyes. These are the most heart-warming replies I’ve ever got from a group of people. I’d like to thank each and every one of you for caring and I just wanted to say, I was in a really bad place when I wrote this comment, and now I’m doing better than I did before mentally. Thanks guys.
@Bruedermusslos
7 жыл бұрын
yo man, don't give up. There is always a reason to smile, to have fun and enjoy life, sometimes you need to search for it a little more. If you need someone to listen to you, I'm here. best, Fred
@Armkinda
7 жыл бұрын
Saba Aghajani I've felt the same way for the longest time and Sufjan's music has helped me so much, especially "The Only Thing". We can do this brother
@davidmooreulster
7 жыл бұрын
Saba Aghajani I felt exactly the same before the new Bon Iver album but it got me through those times and I've kept my head up ever since. Just stick with it and know it's always ok to talk about this stuff. If you want to drop me a pm or something feel free, I'm happy to listen
@MSAZgreen
7 жыл бұрын
I'm just about in tears right now. I hope you can feel the warmth and genuity of these comments. we are here for you, in whatever little ways that we can be. you are not alone. from one human being to another, there are still reasons out there. you are a reason. I'll be seeing Planetarium performed live at the hollywood forever by myself next month. when they play this song, I will think of you and dedicate it to you in my mind, and hope that your heart can somehow feel the resonance of my own. sufjan on, saba. sufjan on. ❀
@papajon87
7 жыл бұрын
I hear you. For whatever reason (namely the reality of human consciousness), I believe these people mean what they are saying, having never even heard the timbre of your voice. Whether it's a pm or just a thought, there are open ears, with the hopes that these words will mean more to you than just words. Man, art is so communal.
This is human beings at their peak. Beauty unparalleled. ❤️
There's something lighter than air in this piece. It reminds me of Gustav Holst's own "Mercury, the winged messenger". Something very cheerful, but that's unfortunately just passing by. They truly managed to capture both the joy and the nostalgia in this piece. When I hear it, I recall bygone emotions. The strongest ones. Where have they gone?
How does one write a vocal line like that? Pure art and expression. Perfect songs lie in their hands.
@Travmann777
6 жыл бұрын
The vocals at the end of Neptune are another example of me being flabergasted by the vocal lines on this album. Just insane.
@davetinoco
5 жыл бұрын
Bobby Jae have you ever read it first only the odd lines? Then only the even lines?
Thank u for being here for me in this cruel life..sufjan
Wow! I reeeally need to spend more time with Sufjan’s music
@gr-8166
2 ай бұрын
The Ascension, Age of Adz, All Delighted People and the song My Rajneesh make for an ultimate trilogy. Illinois, Oregon and Michigan are great albums of the states.
Sufjan is a genius. This is breathtaking, so unbelievably beautiful.
suf just wanted to let you know I really appreciate all you do in this life. I hope you can find happiness and fulfillment along with your success
Sufjan is love of my life that I cant have...his voice is a blessings from heaven
This song centers me.
I'm a simple man: I see Sufjan, I like
@thibaultleglatin3312
7 жыл бұрын
i'm a simple man, i see you saying you're a simple man, i like
@josephrowley9155
7 жыл бұрын
Thibault Le Glatin I too am a simple man. I see you saying your a simple man to him saying he's a simple man and I like.
@danieledwards6707
6 жыл бұрын
im complicated and I feel indifferent
@marcscott517
6 жыл бұрын
I'm an indifferent man, it's complicated.... but I like.
@HoangDo_m
6 жыл бұрын
I'm a simple man: I hear Sufjan's falsetto, I reach orgasm.
I came across this tune 5 years ago ... I have been mesmerized ever since. I listen to this every few weeks. As a nature photographer, this inspires and re-charges my strides to see the universe in all imaginable lights. Thank you for this beautiful song and music. Bravo !
His little falsetto is on point
if we stop thinking we can feel that we are not alone, it´s our ego and our habits which feel us so sad, alone & unimportant, but it´s a everyday struggle to recognize it, so go on, sufjans music is a big help to be connected with all, the universe, the wind, the love, the music, the awareness, and i guess this is spirituality, to know and to feel that there is freedom behind thinking and its patterns
@gardentigerart5261
6 жыл бұрын
Beautiful sentiment put into inspiring words - thank you - love this piece of music but your words have also given me solace 🙏
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." Saint Augustine
sufjans small voice hurts me so good
Thanks for posting. Seeing Sufjan on the Carrie and Lowell tour was probably one of the best shows I've seen in a while and this new project is sounding good too.
I cant express how beautiful this arrangement and composition are
I love u NPR. and its because I love you that I must ask you to change the light bulb in that lamp on the ceiling
@TheCompleteGuitarist
6 жыл бұрын
hmmmmm I suspect that the lightbulb isn't NPR's to change he says ruining a perfectly good joke.
THIS. This version. Perfect on so many levels. The entire album has already been a treat to my ears! I can see how this song kinda pays homage to 'The Only Thing' (perhaps something in the chord arrangement at some points in the melody?). Absolutely love this version and really am looking forward to the next collab album! (Fingers crossed)
hands down one of the most beautiful human beings of all time. A beautiful heart, and a killer face.
I love it, when he's smile....
10 years later and I’m still a huge Sufjan fan ❤️
Wow, this is a stunning piece and work of art. Sufjan never disappoints. The depth in his voice and lyrical arrangement is breathtaking. You take that and add the beautiful art of every one of these artists and it is literally mind blowing in such a beautiful and relaxing way... I think I just watched this like 10 times in row! That Viola...🙌🏼
I downloaded the album today. I just love it. I love anything to do with the cosmos, and I love how the album crosses so many genres, but is also musically challenging/complicated in the ways that a contemporary classical album could be. Combined with the thoughtful, poetic lyrics and of course that VOICE, I highly recommend it!
Just plain beautiful. It melts my soul. It's one of those songs that makes you happy to be alive...
Impossible to ever tire of watching this beautiful man
this album is magical. A truly masterpiece
How does his voice do that! One of the best voices in the biz!
Big shout out to my friend Gary who introduced me to Sufjan in 2007. I was drawn in instantly. He's a great talent and I feel he's made my heart a little deeper in some respects with his succinct, insightful and tender lyrics, singing and general musical style.
@LexMassive
7 жыл бұрын
Just gone and bought his new album. And Midlake's newest. And pre-ordered Shakey Graves' next one on vinyl. Frugal night in the local tavern this eve, I feel.
This song is just eons ahead of its time.
The first time I heard this song was when my dog died ... shortly before, and I feel his presence through that song. A sublime and intense feeling when I hear ... Inexplicable, Thank you! 💔
My fave thing in this song is that, in the middle, Sufjan is just playing along with the keys, on chords with his guitar, and it still sounds amazing. Well done...
This is actually stunning. To be in that room...wow.
So Beautiful. So peaceful. Something in Sufjans music.. his voice possesses this quality of desperate other worldly yearning that I so identify with. Grace and Peace.
One of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard … thank you Sufjan & Friends for sharing.
3:34 till the end was a nice trip to mercury, thanks sufjan! As long as this song exists i will be happy for the rest of my life. Thanks so much NPR for organising this.
My God this is beautiful.
LYRICS And all that I've known to be of life And I am gentle You ran off with it all And I am faithful And all that I felt within my arms And I am weightless You ran off with it all And I am speechless And all that I've said to get it right And I am confident You ran off with it all And I am steadfast And all that I thought to be precise And I am consequence You ran off with it all And I am sorry And I am sorry And all that I've known to be at peace And I am desperate You ran off with it all And I am restless And all that I've known to be of love And I am gentle You ran off with it all And I am desperate And all that I dream Where do you run, where do you run to? And I'm evidence And all that I dream Where do you run, where do you run to? And I am faithless And all that I dream Where do you run, where do you run to? And now I am messed up And all that I dream Where do you run, where do you run to? Carrier, friend Where do you run? Songwriters: Nico Muhly / Sufjan Stevens / Bryce David Dessner / James McAllister
This just takes you to a different place...it's pure. Brought tears to my eyes!
I'm sorry - how can anything be so beautiful?? Joy. Joy. Joy
Absolutely beautiful, and original to boot, thanks fer sharing'
First time I've ever heard of this gentleman and his music and wow
His little smile at 3:40. ❤😭 I love him!
What a wonderful refreshing song!!!
All these musicians are extremely talented! Wow
Overwhelmingly beautiful 😢
Still so good and brings me to a place much needed
This could quite possibly be the most beautiful music I've ever heard.
Such a beautiful performance of a beautiful song
Thank you, this is so beautiful! You guys are amazing!
Everytime I come around here I feel something especially different. Sufjan is one of best, Period!
Literally one of the best performances on this channel hands down
Sufjan you're Genius. Fact
This is a very special gift! Thank you😊
A story intertwined with the purity of his heart in everything that can be portrayed in mere words
Meraviglioso. Grazie Sufjan.
Muchas gracias por esta gran, gran pieza de arte!!
Beautiful piece of music.
hes so good live
Oh my. This is simply beautiful. 😢🥲
Sufjan Stevens may help us when one day the remaining Beatles have left the world.......Beautiful,Celestial Music I love to Death......
Absolutely beautiful
Those vocalizations throughout the instrumental from Sufjan have me flying in front of the sun. This music is so transcendent.
And all that I've known to be of life And I am gentle You ran off with it all And I am faithful And all that I felt within my arms And I am weightless You ran off with it all And I am speechless And all that I've said to get it right And I am confident You ran off with it all And I am steadfast And all that I thought to be precise And I am consequence You ran off with it all And I am sorry And I am sorry And all that I've known to be at peace And I am desperate You ran off with it all And I am restless And all that I've known to be of love And I am gentle You ran off with it all And I am desperate And all that I dream Where do you run, where do you run to? And I'm evidence And all that I dream Where do you run, where do you run to? And I am faithless And all that I dream Where do you run, where do you run to? And now I am messed up And all that I dream Where do you run, where do you run to? Carrier, friend Where do you run?
@Jackie-fw9ek
3 жыл бұрын
Beautiful
this is pure gold
At the instrumental, did any other Sufjan Stevens fan get reminded of Impossible Soul from Age of Adz? I sure did
@elishazepeda184
7 жыл бұрын
A bit! It also reminded me of the last half of The Only Thing, just less climactic.
I love this so much.
His singing style is simple and peaceful
My God, how beautiful is this?
❤️😀❤️😀❤️😀❤️😀❤️ thank you for making music!
I mean , wow . He's the real artist we all been waiting for
His voice sounds beautiful here 🥰
So very beautiful.
Beautiful.
So gloriously beautiful 🙏
Ineffably beautiful
Incredible sound recording. Nice work!
breath taking
Sufjan makes me want to continue living when I no longer have the will to live.
this is so incredibly beautiful