Liner Notes
Cat. No. NWCRL415
Release Date: 2017-08-16
Romuald Teco, violin; Priscilla Rybka, horn; Peter Howard, cello; Richard E. Killmer, oboe; Timothy J. Paradise, clarinet; Layton James, piano; William McGlaughlin, conductor; St. Paul Chamber Orchestra; Dennis Russell Davies, Conductor; Cynthia Stokes, flute and piccolo
William Mayer writes:
“When asked by the American Artists Series to write a chamber piece using any group of instruments I wanted, I felt as if I had been given carte blanche in a pastry shop. My original plan was to use the violin, cello, and French horn as ‘dream’ instruments contrasting with the here-and-now sounds of an oboe and clarinet. The sixth instrument, a piano, was to be a kind of bridge. Such a plan may sound impressive in the program notes, but when I got down to writing the piece, these classifications soon went by the board. Following one’s instincts, it seems, can leave the best laid plans in shreds...
“For the most part the instruments speak in this piece as individuals rather than as part of a bloc. Beyond the conversational sallies and rejoinders, there is an overall pattern of a poignant motif (built on a descending second and third) which recurs throughout the work in different guises.
Eric Stokes writes:
“To me any sound is potentially interesting and useful in a composition. As such, sounds are inherently innocent and free. However, their freedom and innocence are restricted and compromised by that with which we associate them and by the ‘musical’ qualities or lack thereof we attribute to them. My aim as composer, then, is to hold open that freedom and innocence as widely as possible so that any sound may contribute fresh associations and sonic combinations not heard before.
This title, originally issued on the CRI label, is now available as a burn-on-demand CD (CD-R) or download in MP3/320, FLAC or WAV formats. CD-Rs come in a protective sleeve; no print booklet or jewel case included. Liner notes are accessible via the link above.
William Mayer writes:
“When asked by the American Artists Series to write a chamber piece using any group of instruments I wanted, I felt as if I had been given carte blanche in a pastry shop. My original plan was to use the violin, cello, and French horn as ‘dream’ instruments contrasting with the here-and-now sounds of an oboe and clarinet. The sixth instrument, a piano, was to be a kind of bridge. Such a plan may sound impressive in the program notes, but when I got down to writing the piece, these classifications soon went by the board. Following one’s instincts, it seems, can leave the best laid plans in shreds...
“For the most part the instruments speak in this piece as individuals rather than as part of a bloc. Beyond the conversational sallies and rejoinders, there is an overall pattern of a poignant motif (built on a descending second and third) which recurs throughout the work in different guises.
Eric Stokes writes:
“To me any sound is potentially interesting and useful in a composition. As such, sounds are inherently innocent and free. However, their freedom and innocence are restricted and compromised by that with which we associate them and by the ‘musical’ qualities or lack thereof we attribute to them. My aim as composer, then, is to hold open that freedom and innocence as widely as possible so that any sound may contribute fresh associations and sonic combinations not heard before.
This title, originally issued on the CRI label, is now available as a burn-on-demand CD (CD-R) or download in MP3/320, FLAC or WAV formats. CD-Rs come in a protective sleeve; no print booklet or jewel case included. Liner notes are accessible via the link above.
Mayer / Stokes
| MP3/320 | $14.00 | |
| FLAC | $14.00 | |
| WAV | $14.00 | |
| CD-R | $14.00 |
A *.pdf of the notes may be accessed here free of charge.
Track Listing
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Dream's End: I. Extremes
William Mayer
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Buy
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Dream's End: II. Mostly Clarinet
William Mayer
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Buy
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Dream's End: III. Buzzings
William Mayer
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Buy
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Dream's End: IV. A 20th Century Guest at an 18th Century Musicale, Interlude of Air
William Mayer
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Buy
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Dream's End: V. Appalachian Echoes
William Mayer
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Buy
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Dream's End: VI. Burlesca (Funicula ridicula)
William Mayer
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Buy
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Dream's End: VII. Mostly Piano
William Mayer
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Buy
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Dream's End: VIII. Dream's End
William Mayer
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Buy
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On the Badlands (Parables): I. "Through Quiet's Gulch Small Riven Winds Pursued, Persist‰Û_"
Eric Stokes
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Buy
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On the Badlands (Parables): II. "Until the Birds" / "It's Swinging Air" / "Shall Acrobat No More"
Eric Stokes
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Buy
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On the Badlands (Parables): III. "The Anvil of Emptiness"
Eric Stokes
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Buy
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Eldey Island
Eric Stokes
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Buy
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