Monk - Traditional or avant-garde?

On first listen, Monk’s work struck me as quite traditionally ‘classical’. Her melodies and rhythms don’t sound particularly avant-garde and this is especially evident in Gotham Lullaby, which sounds almost baroque, with its string quartet and cello emphasis. Monk’s Songs of Ascension also come across as quite traditional in their structure.

The key aspect of Gotham Lullaby is the unintelligible lyrics. And it made me wonder, does Monk really want the listener to fill in the gaps? One hint from Monk for lyrical interpretation is, of course, the title. The word ‘lullaby’ is supposed to trigger mother-baby imagery. However, I think Monk had a different idea when composing this piece. The Collins Dictionary states that the word Gotham refers to a village in England which, according to medieval legend, was supposedly inhabited by "the wise men of Gotham" who were very foolish. Listening to the piece again, it sounds like a song of guidance. The unintelligible lyrics are meant for the listener to interpret as advice and wisdom, which can differ for each individual. 

However, that’s not to say that it is purely a traditional piece. In Gotham Lullaby, the voice is the avant-garde element, in terms of pitch and modulation. Songs of Ascension expands on this by deploying the voice in both the operatic and the choral. 

Songs of Ascension is different from Gotham Lullaby, in that it is an art piece, having been performed in a tower, with the musicians and singers and performers standing on the spiralling staircase at different levels. The echoes and sounds of the voices and instruments rise up to the apex, which symbolises the "ascension". The visual aspect, the setting, the instruments used (such as the Indian music box, the shruti) are brought together in a more avant-garde approach (as opposed to Gotham Lullaby).

What is most interesting about Monk is the accessibility of her music. The traditional approach draws the listener in but her work with voice forces us to reconsider how it can be used in music and how the unusual can still be enjoyable.