Robert Moran – Cabinet of Curiosities
March 12th, 2011
Cabinet of Curiosities is a curious collection of seven compositions in which Dan Moore and Iowa Percussion realize the graphic percussion scores of Robert Moran. These works begin in 1964 and proceed through the mists of time all the way up to 2010. The program kicks off with “Interiors II” (1964), a solo performance by Dan comprised of 22 overdubbed tracks featuring percussion instruments from around the world. The result is a vivid, random field of tick-tacks, pitter-patters and plink-plonks. Next, Iowa Percussion goes on an “Elegant Journey” (1965) into a thick, sustained web of sonic briar patches covered with a frothy mix of ambient field recordings. The centerpiece of the album is a 25-minute sprawler called “Salagrama” (1979), an exercise in gorgeous understatement which was originally commissioned for a cathedral organ, then adapted for percussion. Indeed, in this solo piece overdubbed by Dan, tectonically slow, droning synth notes coupled with barely-there vibes, bells, wind chimes, gongs and a triangle launch a perfect night of midnight meditation.
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