A colourful Faustian mini drama… the highlight of the album.

Martlew is perfectly placed to draw on the burlesque form’s rich theatrical potential.

Review by Pwyll ap Siôn for “Hôtel Babylon” song cycle, written for Claire Booth and Jâms Coleman, recently released on “Life Stories” (Orchid Classics).

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It’s been a delight to present Hôtel Babylon in the context of other repertoire which inhabits similar worlds: Zoë’s music is definitely more heart-on-sleeve and unashamedly performative than Poulenc, Eisler or Adès, but it absolutely stands up in that company.

Following a 150th anniversary album devoted to the songs of Schoenberg and a programme of works inspired by his Pierrot Lunaire, the intrepid British soprano Claire Booth recently commissioned a song-cycle from Zoë Martlew which takes its cue from the Austrian composer’s cabaret songs and from Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins. Premiered at Wigmore Hall in late 2024, Hôtel Babylon is a veritable rogues’ gallery featuring a sinister Yorkshire madame, a psychotic French chef, an amoral cashier, a manipulative beautician and more…

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ZOE MARTLEW
Hôtel Babylon

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An exhilarating journey of discovery

One shares Martlew’s own delight in bringing forth these richly varied sonic and expressive worlds

An in depth review of Zoë’s debut Album Z by John Fallas in this month’s Gramophone

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Verbally witty.. and musically sexy

– Fiona Maddox, The Observer

Zoe’s latest song cycle – a drama in seven songs for soprano and piano, performed by Claire Booth and Jâms Coleman has just released on Orchid Classics as part of their album “Life Stories”.

After it’s storming Wigmore premiere, Claire and Jâms have given this Faustian romp performances all over the UK. At 30 minutes, Hôtel Babylon is the centrepiece of this beautiful album of cabaret-inspired songs, which include masterpieces by Poulence, Gershwin, Eisler and Adès.

The album launch is to happen later this year at Ronnie Scott’s, in London. Watch this space!

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This broadcast featured my horn and electronics number Nibiru – from Album Z – with Ben Goldscheider in the solo role. Starting 16’48 in.

Also featured is me playing the music of my recently departed friend and colleague, pianist/composer genius Jonathan Powell. To hear us playing his Beyond the Pleasure Principle, go to 1 hr and 4 mins in.

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His recording of this piece features on Zoë’s debut album, Album Z.

This piece launched at the Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, London and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival last year, and in 2025 Ben performed it as part of a California tour with Camerata Pacifica, and November 2025 at the Boulez Saal in Berlin. HB Update

Here’s a 43 second clip of Ben rehearsing Nibiru in the hall:

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