In Double Light
[CD: Avant/Disk Union, Japan, 1993; #AVAN 015]
"In Double Light was the first piece I wrote which dealt with duos working in seperate rhythmic worlds. The fundamental idea of the piece is to have a long melodic line move through a series of contrasting and evolving accompaniments. The viola opens the piece with material that provides the source for the accompaniment, and then turns to its primary role as a melodic force. The piano and African drums are predominantly used as an active accompanimental duo, while the bass clarinet shifts its allegiance frequently, sharing the initial melodic idea with the viola and then going off with the African drums into an attacking accompaniment. The group only completely unifies at the end where they share a brief waltz-like coda that offers a new angle on previously heard material and brings the piece to a quite conclusion. The piece was written for the Dinosaur Annex Music Ensemble of Boston.
Mythic Birds of Saugerties was written for Tim Smith's debut recital in New York City. It is a tribute to the birds of upstate New York and contains references to the pileated woodpecker, mourning dove, and other more imaginary species. I was also thinking about the nearly extinct and very beautiful ivory-billed woodpecker.
String Quartet #2 was commissioned for the Lydian String Quartet by the Naumburg Foundation and is in three movements. The outer movments contain most of the musical argument with, characteristically, a long line passing through and being reinterpreted by its accompaniment. The second movement is marked "Nearly Motionless" and gives the piece a meditative calt at its center. The Quartet is the most ambitious piece on the CD and is an intensification of many of the foreground-background ideas I first worked with in In Double Light.
Ciao Manhattan is a quiet and introspective work that was written in New York and Rome in 1990. The piece begins in a confident space and expands slowly, while attempting to unify the ensemble sound and develop in a series of textural layers. Late in the piece the texture thins and breaks down, and elements that had previously heard in the background are profiled. The piece moves into a brief climactic section which, in turn, is followed by a final variation of the opening tune, a variation that is in fact a quote of the Neil Young tune Soldier. Ciao Manhattan was commissioned by the Meet the Composer-Reader's Digest commissioning program, and written for Dinosaur Annex."
Mythic Birds of Saugerties was written for Tim Smith's debut recital in New York City. It is a tribute to the birds of upstate New York and contains references to the pileated woodpecker, mourning dove, and other more imaginary species. I was also thinking about the nearly extinct and very beautiful ivory-billed woodpecker.
String Quartet #2 was commissioned for the Lydian String Quartet by the Naumburg Foundation and is in three movements. The outer movments contain most of the musical argument with, characteristically, a long line passing through and being reinterpreted by its accompaniment. The second movement is marked "Nearly Motionless" and gives the piece a meditative calt at its center. The Quartet is the most ambitious piece on the CD and is an intensification of many of the foreground-background ideas I first worked with in In Double Light.
Ciao Manhattan is a quiet and introspective work that was written in New York and Rome in 1990. The piece begins in a confident space and expands slowly, while attempting to unify the ensemble sound and develop in a series of textural layers. Late in the piece the texture thins and breaks down, and elements that had previously heard in the background are profiled. The piece moves into a brief climactic section which, in turn, is followed by a final variation of the opening tune, a variation that is in fact a quote of the Neil Young tune Soldier. Ciao Manhattan was commissioned by the Meet the Composer-Reader's Digest commissioning program, and written for Dinosaur Annex."
(Lee Hyla - from the liner notes)
"Scott Wheeler on composer Lee Hyla, b. 1952:
His music finds common ground between the postwar American expressionism of Stefan Wolpe and Elliott Carter and the avant garde jazz style of musicians such as Cecil Taylor, also integrating aspects of rock music, especially punk ... A meticulous attention to pitch organization and dramatic structure allows raucousness to achieve elegance."
1. In Double Light (1983) 6'40
Mary Ruth Ray: viola
Tim Smith: bass clarinet
Elizabeth Rodgers: piano
Jim Pugliese: percussion
Lee Hyla: conductor
2. Mythic Birds of Saugerties (1985) 3'55
Tim Smith: bass clarinet
String Quartet #2 (1985)
3. First Movement 7'05
4. Second Movement 3'55
5. Third Movment 5'03
Lydian String Quartet
- Wilma Smith: violin
- Judith Eisenberg: violin
- Mary Ruth Ray: viola
- Rhonda Rider: cello
6. Ciao Manhattan (1990) 6'53
Elizabeth Brown: flute, alto flute
Mary Ruth Ray: viola
Theodore Mook: cello
Lee Hyla: piano
total time: 33'33
All music composed by Lee Hyla.
1+6 recorded December 19, 1992 at Slosberg Hall, Brandeis University by Brad Michel.
2-5 recorded May 12, 1986 at Slosberg Hall, Brandeis University by Sam Negri.
Produced by Lee Hyla.
Executive producers: John Zorn / Disk Union.
Associate producer: Kazunori Sugiyama.
Digital tape editing by Brad Michel (1+6) and Amelia Rodgers (2-5).
Mastering by Brad Michel at Soundmirror.
Piano technician: Charles Lincoln.
Cover art The Flagellation by Piero Della Francesca (ca. 1460).
Artist's photograph by Christopher Ward-Jones.
Typesetting by Lisa Wells.
Designed by Tomoyo T.L. (Karath=Razar).
Download [ CD-rip | mp3-320kb/s | scans | 82mb ]
0 comment/s:
Post a Comment