Liner Notes
Cat. No. NWCRL354
Release Date: 2010-12-15
DaCapo Chamber Players (Allen Blustine, clarinet; Patricia Spencer, flute; Joel Lester, violin; Helen Harbison, cello; Joan Tower, piano; Gordon Gottlieb, percussion),
Daniel Shulman, conductor; Chorus and Instrumental Ensemble of the Manhattan School of Music; Elizabeth Reel, soprano; Daniel Paget, Conductor
Joan Tower writes:
"Hexachords for flute was written in 1972 and dedicated to a long-time colleague and friend, Patricia Spencer. The title refers to the basic harmony of the piece which is based on a six-note unordered chromatic collection of pitches. The use of different vibrato speeds as applied to individual notes (or groups of notes) combined with different rhythmic-dynamic articulations placed in different registers creates a counterpoint of tunes that hopefully keeps the listener's attention moving through all the registers. The piece is divided into five sections which are most easily differentiated by a sense of either going somewhere or staying somewhere.
"Breakfast Rhythms I & Ii for Clarinet and Five Instruments (1974-75) was commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts and dedicated to the excellent clarinetist Allen Blustine. In I, a six-note chromatic group is either isolated, completed, or combined with another hexachord to define the different contents or harmonies of the different sections. The central pitch is B which begins and ends the movement. In II, G- sharp acts as the central note placed registrally at the center of the home chord D#, F#, G#, A#, C# which is arrived at at the closing of the first ensemble section. The different energies unfolding throughout both movements are generated by these contents which interact in various ways to produce different at-home and away-from-home identities which cooperate with rhythmic, registral, and dynamic articulations in such a way that there is a sense of local as well as large-scale balancing of gestures — an idea very much influenced by Beethoven's use of textural and rhythmic contrast."
Elias Tanenbaum writes:
"Rituals and Reactions is a theater piece scored for chorus on stage, chorus in the audience, soprano soloist, five brass, three percussion, and electronic tape. A mime or dancers may be used to react freely to the sounds as well as lighting to enhance the feeling of theater.
"The 'rituals' sections of the score are generally fully composed and the 'reactions' are free responses of the musicians to the tape and to each other.
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.
Daniel Shulman, conductor; Chorus and Instrumental Ensemble of the Manhattan School of Music; Elizabeth Reel, soprano; Daniel Paget, Conductor
Joan Tower writes:
"Hexachords for flute was written in 1972 and dedicated to a long-time colleague and friend, Patricia Spencer. The title refers to the basic harmony of the piece which is based on a six-note unordered chromatic collection of pitches. The use of different vibrato speeds as applied to individual notes (or groups of notes) combined with different rhythmic-dynamic articulations placed in different registers creates a counterpoint of tunes that hopefully keeps the listener's attention moving through all the registers. The piece is divided into five sections which are most easily differentiated by a sense of either going somewhere or staying somewhere.
"Breakfast Rhythms I & Ii for Clarinet and Five Instruments (1974-75) was commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts and dedicated to the excellent clarinetist Allen Blustine. In I, a six-note chromatic group is either isolated, completed, or combined with another hexachord to define the different contents or harmonies of the different sections. The central pitch is B which begins and ends the movement. In II, G- sharp acts as the central note placed registrally at the center of the home chord D#, F#, G#, A#, C# which is arrived at at the closing of the first ensemble section. The different energies unfolding throughout both movements are generated by these contents which interact in various ways to produce different at-home and away-from-home identities which cooperate with rhythmic, registral, and dynamic articulations in such a way that there is a sense of local as well as large-scale balancing of gestures — an idea very much influenced by Beethoven's use of textural and rhythmic contrast."
Elias Tanenbaum writes:
"Rituals and Reactions is a theater piece scored for chorus on stage, chorus in the audience, soprano soloist, five brass, three percussion, and electronic tape. A mime or dancers may be used to react freely to the sounds as well as lighting to enhance the feeling of theater.
"The 'rituals' sections of the score are generally fully composed and the 'reactions' are free responses of the musicians to the tape and to each other.
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.
Music of Joan Tower & Elias Tanenbaum
| MP3/320 | $7.99 | |
| FLAC | $7.99 | |
| WAV | $7.99 | |
| CD-R | $7.99 |
A *.pdf of the notes may be accessed here free of charge.
Track Listing
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Hexachords
Joan Tower
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Buy
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Breakfast Rhythms I
Joan Tower
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Buy
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Breakfast Rhythms II
Joan Tower
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Buy
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Rituals and Reactions
Elias Tanenbaum
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Buy
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