Michael Byron – Music of Nights Without Moon or Pearl
Among many other things, Michael Byron is a modern classical composer who studied with James Tenney and Richard Teitelbaum, a music professor who taught at York University, and an editor of experimental music journals and books. His first full-length CD, Music of Nights Without Moon Or Pearl, from 2000, premieres three long pieces from the 1990s. The title track opens the disc with a beyond pleasant 18-minute piece of unintended, unofficial and beautiful minimalism—the aural equivalent of a gentle rain shower. A string quartet, playing the part of the raindrops themselves, lets loose an ever-cascading downpour of pizzicati (plucked strings) over an insistent, repetitive piano roll; electronic keyboard washes and carefree, meandering contrabass lines.
“Invisible ‘Seeds’ For James Tenney” is vaguely similar to the above, but of a fairly darker hue. This time, the slightly melodic, droning strings, played arco throughout, are shot through with “random”-sounding dissonant stabs of piano. We encounter more of a thunderstorm at this point, which completely ruins our picnic. “‘Entrances’ is a work for four pianos—all four parts stunningly played by David Rosenboom, who also realized the specific construction of the version of this somewhat open-form piece that is heard here. Starting with intermittent bursts of notes, it builds to an extraordinarily dense barrage of sound.” Featuring the CalArts New Century Players and David Rosenboom on pianos.
Label: Cold Blue Catalog Number: CB0002 Format: CD Packaging: Jewel case Tracks: 3 Total Time: 55:03 Country: United States Released: 2000 More: Frog Peak, Forced Exposure, Scaruffi
Text ©2009 Arcane Candy
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