Ohio State University New Music Ensemble; James Hill, saxophone; Craig Kirchhoff, Conductor; Jerome Bunke, clarinet; Elliott Schwartz, piano; Allan Dean, trumpet; Leonard Raver, organ; University of Illinois Contemporary Chamber Players; Paul Martin Zonn, clarinet; Edwin London, Conductor
The compositions on this disc reflect different aspects of my work since the 1970s, with two emphases in par- ticular: the idea of the “concerto” with all its dramatic and acoustical implications, and the interaction of live acousti- cal-instrument performance with electronic tape—perhaps a uniquely twentieth-century variety of “concerto.”
On another level, these five works are very similar. Every one of them reveals a concern for performance situations that encourage spontaneity and a degree of improvisation, while controlling and shaping the overall end results. Each piece explores a similar musical language as well: a fusion of tonal, triadic references with clusters and other angular, non-tonal gestures—drawing upon many levels of association and memory (or, in a more objective sense, structure and texture).
—Elliott Schwartz
This title, originally issued on the CRI label, is now available for order from New World Records as an on-demand CD (CD-R). It can also be downloaded in MP3/320, FLAC and/or WAV format(s).
