Album DescriptionElodie Lauten's "major opus, strikingly scored for Baroque ensemble with harpsichord, with the text chanted in a style reminiscent not of minimalism but of an exotic fusion of Stravinskian chinoiserie and the 17th century cantata: very beautiful." Kyle Gann, The Village Voice. New Music for Baroque Ensemble from this internationally renowned composer, in a stunning live performance from New York's Merkin Hall, conducted by Mimi Stern-Wolfe and featuring harpsichordist Elaine Comparone, flutist Andrew Bolotowsky, baritone Thomas Buckner and many other star New York soloists. With inspiration and lyrics drawn from the words of Blaise Pascal, Steven Hall, Rainer Maria Rilke and Elodie Lauten herself, the Deus Ex Machina Cycle creates a unique sound world that grows out of what annotator John Schaefer calls "a synthesis of neo-Baroque and postminimalist musical styles". This large-scale, two-part work is very moving, deeply felt in its conception and exceptionally beautiful.