George Crumb: Orchestral Music

Track Listings

1. A Haunted Landscape

2. Echoes of Time and the River - Frozen Time

3. Echoes of Time and the River - Remembrance of Time

4. Echoes of Time and the River - Collapse of Time

5. Echoes of Time and the River - Last Echoes of Time

6. Star-Child - Introduction: Desolato

7. Star-Child - Vox Clamans in Deserto

8. Star-Child - Ascensus Potestatum Tenebrarum

9. Star-Child - Musica Apocalyptica

10. Star-Child - Seven Trumpets of the Apocalypse

11. Star-Child - Adventus Puerorum Luminis

12. Star-Child - Hymnus pro Novo Tempore

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
This CD presents George Crumb’s (b.1929) three mature orchestral compositions together for the first time. (Crumb’s only other orchestral effort to date is his early ‘doctoral thesis’–Variazioni). This disc includes the Grammy-winning recording of Crumb’s magnum opus, Star-Child, led by conductor Thomas Conlin, in a performance that won numerous awards from the international press,. Also included are Crumb’s mysterious A Haunted Landscape, one of the composer’s most colorful and mystic compositions, and his Pulitzer Prize-winning Echoes of Time and the River, a work both delicate and explosive. All three Warsaw/Conlin performances on this CD earned stellar reviews and perfect 10/10 ratings at ClassicsToday.com, and received overwhelmingly positive press in USA, Europe and the Far East. George Crumb occupies an important position among today’s composers, and this recording, compiling Crumb’s three orchestral works, is a major addition to the Crumb discography. More Crumb on Bridge:

Crumb Edition Vol. 1: BRIDGE 9028
Crumb Edition Vol. 2: BRIDGE 9069
Crumb Edition Vol. 3: BRIDGE 9095
Crumb Edition Vol. 4: BRIDGE 9105
Crumb Edition Vol. 5: BRIDGE 9113
Crumb Edition Vol. 6: BRIDGE 9127
Crumb Edition Vol. 7: BRIDGE 9139
Crumb Edition Vol. 8: BRIDGE 9155

Tracks:

Mother Nozipo
Five Tango Sensations: Asleep
String Quartet No. 4 (Amazing Grace)
Different Trains: America - Before The War
Quasi una Fantasia - String Quartet No. 2: Arioso: adagio cantabile
Salome Dances For Peace: (Excerpt From) The Ecstasy
Black Angels: God-Music
Fratres
String Quartet No. 5: Movt. III
A Cool Wind Is Blowing
Adagio

Tracks:

Dinner Music For A Pack Of Hungry Cannibals
How It Happens - The Voice Of I.F. Stone: It Raged
Elvis Everywhere
Purple Haze

Amazon.com essential recording

For all its wide stylistic span and just plain good listening, Kronos's Released 1985-1995 is problematic in that it doesn't acknowledge the group's decade-long pre-Nonesuch history with so much as a footnote. That aside, Released, which celebrates the first ten years of the group's association with Nonesuch, is like a great mix tape, stringing pop-song-length selections from 11 albums to wonderful effect. It opens with a joyous Zimbabwean cross-cultural composition; segues into a brief tango by Astor Piazzolla; and goes on to comprise classic minimalism (Steve Reich, Terry Reilly, Philip Glass), a broader palette of 20th-century classical (Samuel Barber, Henryk Gorecki, George Crumb, Arvo Part), and work truly unique to the Kronos repertoire (Ben Johnston's arrangement of "Amazing Grace"). A second CD includes a live recording of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze," a catchy rendering of a wacky Raymond Scott hodgepodge, a novelty homage to Elvis Presley, and a selection from Scott Johnson's extraordinary musical setting of readings by historian I.F. Stone. A great starter kit for Kronos newcomers. --Marc Weidenbaum

Customer Reviews:

It's not what it appears to be.......2006-07-17

A sampler should be priced at sampler prices to get you to sample the label or artist, usually around $10. On this set, the first CD is 77 min. but the second is only 23 and mostly worthless, except for the Hendrix piece (Purple Haze) which they claim is unreleased though it appears in nearly identical form on the "Sculthorpe, Sallinen, Glass..." album, released 5 years before this one. The first CD is excellent, however, and merits a $2 marketplace purchase.

I never knew classical could sound like this.......2005-06-22

I bought this CD with no knowledge of what Kronos Quartet was all about. I don't have a sophisticated taste in classical music, with my preferences running more to Copeland, Dvorak, Handel, Barber, and Holst.....accessible music for many people. I bought this to expose myself to a different approach to classical music and for the most part have loved the ride. The track America-Before the War alone is worth the price of the CD....its meditation on a society just emerging with optimism from economic stagnation but simultaneously rushing into war is incredibly powerful.

There are obviously many old favorites like Amazing Grace, Barber's Adagio, and a classic rendition of Jimmy Hendrix. When you listen, though, you will appreciate the diversity of classical music....there's so much more to the catalog than most writers Top Fifty lists.

a necessary, and excellent, sampler.......2000-10-09

I've been aware of the Kronos Quartet since WHITE MAN SLEEPS, but never took the plunge until now. What to do, when they've "released" so many records in the meantime? This sampler is the (near) perfect answer. It contains selections from 10 different albums. This serves both to give a sense of the breadth of the group's work (as well as the breadth of 20th century composition!), and also the flavor of some of their records if you decide to hear more. It is astounding music --RELEASED works as a unified whole, with two exceptions in my opinion, and those are the excerpts from the Reich and Glass albums. I don't like Glass at all, and the Reich piece is underwhelming, so I simply edit those selections out. Most of the other tracks are nothing less than stellar: Johnston, Gorecki, Riley, Crumb, Part, Tahmizyan, and Barber. The second disc ("Unreleased") is where my more serious dissatisfaction lies, and hence only 4 stars. You pay a 2-disc price, but this is not a full disc of music, and only 2 of the 4 selections really bear repeated listening. The Johnson track with sampled vocals by the great critic of U.S. imperialism I.F. Stone is fantastic (in a very '80s style), but the last two pieces are more novelty numbers. With all the material available, the second disc could easily contain many more cuts from the voluminous Kronos catalog. But with that caveat, I recommend this record. It sounds great in its own right, and it works quite well as a sampler.

(Since I wrote the original review I've added BLACK ANGELS, NIGHT PRAYERS, and SHORT STORIES to my collection, and all are superb -- see my reviews of all three, and my "Kronos, Reviewed and Unreviewed" list -- 9/5/04.)

George Crumb: A Haunted Landscape / William Schuman: Three Colloquies for Horn & Orchestra - New York Philharmonic / Arthur Weisberg / Zubin Mehta

Average customer rating:

If you like this sort of thing, you'll find that this is the sort of thing you like.

George Crumb: A Haunted Landscape / William Schuman: Three Colloquies for Horn & Orchestra - New York Philharmonic / Arthur Weisberg / Zubin Mehta

Manufacturer: New World Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000030DA
Release Date: 1992-12-08

Tracks:

A Haunted Landscape
Three Colloquies For Horn And Orchestra: Rumination
Three Colloquies For Horn And Orchestra: Renewal
Three Colloquies For Horn And Orchestra: Remembrance

Customer Reviews:

If you like this sort of thing, you'll find that this is the sort of thing you like........2006-07-27

In all, a substantive and worthwhile disc here. Crumb's A Haunted Landscape sounds very much like a good sci-fi horror movie score, laden with anxiety and a sense of the numinous and bizarre. Schuman's Three Colloquies for Horn and Orchestra are more difficult. Its texture owes much to Webernian pointillism, but harmonic and melodic material seem to derive more from extended tertian harmonies than from serial rows or pitch-class sets, so that the piece speaks in a more consonant, jazz orchestra sort of language as far as pitch is concerned. The New York Philharmonic plays with predictable skill and, surprisingly, a good deal of enthusiasm (so many performances of new compositions are just phoned-in), and Myers, the horn soloist, produces a rugged, powerful sound that works very well in the Colloquies. This isn't meant to be pretty music and if your tastes run more to Brahms and Mahler in orchestral music it won't be your favorite album, but these are both excellent post-modernist scores.

Average customer rating:

A worthwhile investment
Excelent compilation!
Amazingly Now Retrospective
How Could You Not Listen?
Good for help to know up-to-date contemporaly music

25 Years: Retrospective
Suzanne Elder , Paul Hillier , David Krakauer , John Adams , Franguiz Ali-Zadeh , Ken Benshoof , George Crumb , Morton Feldman , Philip Glass , Osvaldo Golijov , Henryk Gorecki , Sofiya Gubaydulina , Arvo Part , P. Q. Phan , Astor Piazzolla , Steve Reich , Terry Riley , Alfred Schnittke , Peter Sculthorpe , Kevin Volans , Aki Takahashi , Ellen L. Hargis , Neal Rogers , and Kronos Quartet
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00000DD9B
Release Date: 1998-10-27

Tracks:

John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Judah to Ocean
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Toot Nipple
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Dogjam
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Pavane: She's So Fine
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Rag the Bone
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Habanera
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Stubble Crochet
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Hammer & Chisel
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Alligator Escalator
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Standchen: The Little Serenade
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Judah to Ocean (Reprise)
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Fratres
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Psalom
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Summa
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Missa Syllabica: Kyrie
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Gloria
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Credo
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Sanctus
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Agnus Dei
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Ite, missa est

Tracks:

Traveling Music: 1. Gentle, easy
Traveling Music: 2. Moderate
Traveling Music: 3. Driving
Song of Twenty Shadows
Five Tango Sensations: Asleep
Five Tango Sensations: Loving
Five Tango Sensations: Anxiety
Five Tango Sensations: Despertar
Five Tango Sensations: Fear
Five Tango Sensations: Four, for Tango

Tracks:

Piano And String Quartet (1985) - Various Artists

Tracks:

Quartet # 4 (Buczak, 1989): I
Quartet # 4 (Buczak, 1989): II
Quartet # 4 (Buczak, 1989): III
Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): 1957 - Award Montage
Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): November 25 - Ichigaya
Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): 1934 - Grandmother and Kimitake
Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): 192 - Body Building
Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): Blood Oath
Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): Mishima/Closing
Company, Quartet #2 (1983): I
Company, Quartet #2 (1983): II
Company, Quartet #2 (1983): III
Company, Quartet #2 (1983): IV
Quartet #5 (1991): I
Quartet #5 (1991): II
Quartet #5 (1991): III
Quartet #5 (1991): IV
Quartet #5 (1991): V

Tracks:

The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: Prelude: Calmo, sospeso
The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: I. Agitato - Con fucco - Maestoso - Senza misura, oscilante
The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: II. Teneramente - Ruvido - Presto
The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: III. Calmo, sospeso - Allego pesante
The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: Postlude: Lento, liberamente
Quartet #4 (1993)
Mugam Sayagi (1993)

Tracks:

Quasi una fantasia (Quartet #2), Op.64 (1990-91): I. Largo (Sostenuto - Mesto)
Quasi una fantasia (Quartet #2), Op.64 (1990-91): II. DecisoEnergico (Marcatissimo sempre)
Quasi una fantasia (Quartet #2), Op.64 (1990-91): III. Arioso: Adagio cantabile
Quasi una fantasia (Quartet #2), Op.64 (1990-91): IV. Allegro (Sempre con grande passione e molto marcato)
Already It is Dusk (Quartet #1), Op.62 (1988)

Tracks:

Different Trains: America Before The War
Different Trains: Europe During The War
Different Trains: America After The War
Black Angels: I. Departure - 1. Thenody I: Night Of The Electric Insects - 2. Sounds Of Bones And Flutes - 3. Lost Bells - 4. Devil-Music - 5. Danse Macabre
Black Angels: II. Absence - 6. Pavana Lachrymae - 7. Threnody II: Black Angels! - 8. Sarabanda de la Muerte Oscura - 9. Losts Bells (Echo)
Black Angels: III. Return - 10. God Music - 11. Ancient Voices - 12. Ancient Voices (Echo) - 13. Thenody III: Night Of The Electric Insects

Tracks:

Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Introduction
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Cadenza: Violin I
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Where Was Wisdom When We Went West?
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Cadenza: Viola
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): March of the Old Timers Reefer Division
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Cadenza: Violin II
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Tuning to Rolling Thunder
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): The Night Cry of Black Buffalo Woman
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Cadenza: Cello
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Gathering of the Spiral Clan
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Captain Jack Has the Last Word
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): G Song
Salome Dances for Peace (1985-86) - III. The Gift: Echoes of Primordial Tim
Salome Dances for Peace (1985-86) - III. The Gift: Mongolian Winds
V. Good Medicine: Good Medicine Dance

Tracks:

Quartet No. 2 (1981): I. Moderato
Quartet No. 2 (1981): II. Agitato
Quartet No. 2 (1981): III. Mesto
Quartet No. 2 (1981): IV. Moderato
Quartet No. 4 (1989): I. Lento
Quartet No. 4 (1989): II. Allegro
Quartet No. 4 (1989): III. Lento
Quartet No. 4 (1989): IV. Vivace
Quartet No. 4 (1989): V. Lento
Collected Songs Where Every Verse Is Filled With Grief (1984-85)

Tracks:

Jabiru Dreaming, Quartet #11 (1990): I. Deciso
Jabiru Dreaming, Quartet #11 (1990): II. Amoroso
Quartet #8 (1969): I. Con dolore
Quartet #8 (1969): II. Risoluto; calmo
Quartet #8 (1969): III. Con dolore
Quartet #8 (1969): IV. Con precisione
Quartet #8 (1969): V. Con dolore
From Ubirr (1994)
Tragedy at the Opera (1995)
White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: First Dance
White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: Second Dance
White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: Third Dance
White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: Fourth Dance
White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: Fifth Dance

Amazon.com

Seems like only yesterday the Kronos Quartet stepped up their career as musical mavericks with a coveted, wide-open contract with Nonesuch Records. Now it's Nonesuch's turn to give Kronos the big-package nod, gathering key works recorded by the group--from younger composers and time-tested veterans alike--into this 10-CD box set. As one might expect, the set is stuffed with contrasts, from the first CD, with its 11-part, upstepping John Adams suite and then the far more solemn Missa Syllabica from Arvo Pärt. Nearly 20 of these pieces here were composed expressly for Kronos, pitched and sculpted for their easily-racked mixture of straightforward string quartet roles and intelligently restructured approaches to the even the simplest gestures. Perhaps most key here is George Crumb's Black Angels, in large part due to Crumb's role in inspiring David Harrington to form Kronos 25 years ago. Crumb's music spirals and chases through the air, engaging high pitches and fast pacings as if they were ends in themselves. Gone from this set are most of the short snippets that have filled some of Kronos's other fine single CD recordings. In abundance instead are some of the legendary works: Morton Feldman's long, endlessly patient Piano and String Quartet (with Aki Takahashi), Steve Reich's unnerving Different Trains, and Henryk Górecki's String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2. There are also some of the astounding Eastern European works from Night Prayers as well, including the stunning Quartet No. 4 from Sofia Gubaidulina. And of course there are the Kronos biggie pieces: Philip Glass's works fill one CD, and so do Terry Riley's. What's more, Riley's Cadenza on the Night Plain and "G Song" are presented here in entirely fresh, new recordings. What the listener gets is a huge block of music, full of shifting colors and textures but perfectly apt in giving a wide-angle vantage on what Kronos has done for contemporary music. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

A worthwhile investment.......2003-10-06

It would be an understatement to say that this is a fabulous box set. All 10 CDs are packed with some fabulous music that beautifull highlights the first 25 years of the Kronos Quartet, and the booklet included provides a great history of the group as well as nice blurbs on the composers and their pieces.

Equally nice about the box set is the inclusion of multiple new recordings, thus making this a worthwhile investment for fans. The Peter Sculthorpe Quartets are a particularly nice addition, as are the added Piazzolla, Part, and Riley compositions.

Along with this, the "classic" Kronos recordings are all here: "Black Angels" "Different Trains" "Salome Dances for Peace" (well, exceprts), and Feldman's Piano and String Quartet. Of particular note, I think is the inclusion of Gubaidulina's Quartet No 4, a fabulous recording that is otherwise hidden in Kronos' recording "Night Prayers."

Yes, this is quite an investment, but I firmly believe that it's worth it - longtime fans and newcomers alike have a lot to gain from this collection.

Excelent compilation!.......2001-09-09

I like more classic period, like Hayden, but Cronos does it very well, technicaly excelent. The ten sets are wonderful recordings and the selection is unique. It deserves the investment, If you buy it, youre going to have more than ten hours of joy.

Amazingly Now Retrospective.......2001-06-26

Since their youthful start in the NW back in the 70's, Kronos has collaborated with, commissioned, or just played such a breadth of musicians it almost seems that breadth - and especially non western world culture - is their mission. But, while this conservatively and esthetically designed 25-yr-retrospective box (with its increasingly sophisticated photo-portraits) belies the pulsation of social angst and conscience that underlies the bulk of the inclusions, the latter concern, its vitality and relevance - and not some stylish chasing after cultural breadth - is what overtakes the listener/reader, rather soon. I say reader, since the booklet is very helpful, especially to the relative novice, and well balanced in its coverage of composers, historical contexts, performers, individual texts, etc.

There are probably more non contemporaries performed by the Quartet over the years than this selection would indicate. That undercuts their ties with the sense of revolution in music throughout the ages, but it leaves more time for the present: and that is where one expects the group wishes to be, is most contributory and challenged, and is best and most fairly judged. Highly recommended, both for those who know Kronos's work well and wish a handsome tribute on their shelf, and for those who do not but are open and ready to be affected, whether impacted esthetically, reminded socio-morally, or whatever combination of both befits.

How Could You Not Listen?.......1998-12-19

My opinion pales when compared to this CD. Indeed the group's ingeniousness, its knowing and its balls are in full display here, hopefully to put to rest any lingering contention that there is little more to Kronos than form. To any person who accepts the merits of 20th-century music, this CD presents the genius of our culture and teaches that daring and ingenuity do not have to be sacrificed on the road to technical brilliance. My only regret is that the CD does not include Kronos's interpretation of Bartok. But, so what? Górecki's here, as are Part and Benshoof. Listen to this CD -- soar and struggle with it.

Good for help to know up-to-date contemporaly music.......1998-11-28

The Kronos Quartet has released many albums. There let us see what the quartet has tried new titles and arrenges in each period. But this is the best set for understand the quartet as summary of thier works. The CDs are distributed by each composers and we can see thier identities easily.Unfortunately this dose not include all but be enough to see what the quartet has been.I hope that every classical music fans(not only contemporaly music fans) listen this CDs.

Average customer rating:

A good example of Upshaw's adventurous programming
Better than average Upshaw recording. Entertaining
Best Upshaw Recording
Making Connections
The right selections for the right voice

White Moon: Songs to Morpheus

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000005J3G
Release Date: 1996-02-27

Tracks:

Sleep
Alceste: Gentle Morpheus
L'Incoronazione di Poppea: Aria: Oblivion Soave
Five Songs: White Moon
Two Poems Of Agueda Pizarro: Black Anemonies
Weep You No More, Sad Fountians - Dowland
Bachianas Brasileiras No.5: Aria
Night Of The Four Moons: I. La luna estuetra, muerta...
Night Of The Four Moons: II. Cuando sale la luna
Night Of The Four Moons: III. Otro Adoscuro estonando...
Night Of The Four Moons: IV. Huye luna, luna, luna!
The Fairy Queen: See, Even Night

Amazon.com

Dawn Upshaw graces us with a template of nocturnal delights. The various musical styles range from Monteverdi to Crumb, keeping the listener from ever getting too comfortable. Her interprations of Warlock's haunting "Sleep" and Schwartner's "Black Anemones" are well- crafted and bewitching, but her usually-stellar musical sense is misguided in a disappointing "Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5" by Villa- Lobos. She sings youthfully and without vocal abandon, and the middle section is void of passion. Her lovely light voice sometimes treads dangerously on girlishness; it's most satisfying when exhibiting its full meaty radiance. Upshaw's pleasurable artistry creates a dreamy recording. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

A good example of Upshaw's adventurous programming.......2006-08-24

Early on Dawn Upshaw carveda niche for herself on the New York music scene with daring song recitlas, often at the 92nd St. Y, that critics adored. This CD gives us a perfect example, ranging form Dowland and Monteverdi to Crumb and Schwantner. Except for the Villa-Lobos, most of the selections will be obscure for the average listener. I wish I could say the results totally delighted me. But Upshaw seems a little uninvolved here, and the theme of Morpheus, god of sleep, suggests that the tone is too consistently nocturnal. There's no denying her artistry, but this is one Upshaw recital I rarely pull out of a listen all the way through.

Better than average Upshaw recording. Entertaining.......2006-04-29

'White Moon, Songs to Morpheus' sung by Dawn Upshaw are 12 pieces written by a wide variety of composers, but all dealing with sleep. I am almost always on the fence between four and five stars with Upshaw recordings, but this one is a clear five, as the variety of both vocal range and instrumental accompanyment makes it far more interesting than her single composer essays.

This may not be the best first album for someone new to Upshaw (See 'Dawn Upsahw, Soprano), but if you like her, it should definitely be on your list.

Best Upshaw Recording.......2004-05-04

Almost as good as Upshaw live, as I saw last week in Pittsburgh. I agree also, the Schwanter is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard and she sings it beautifully with the piano. All other songs are excellent, esp. Weep ye no More...the Crumb songs are unusual but don't affect the worth of purchase.

Making Connections.......2002-03-17

Most of Dawn Upshaw's albums are so artistic in their conception, that you want to buy them regardless of what is on it. It takes true talent to "sell" Monteverdi, Schwantner, Crumb, and Purcell on the same CD! But Upshaw does with performances that are sensitive, but always in the spirit of "Songs to Morpheus." Upshaw doesn't just program her album with songs that all share the same literary theme, but she instills the idea of Morpheus, and by extension, the moon, in all the pieces--the "soother of suffering."
Handel's "Gentle Morpheus" is sung with gentle restraint, bringing out the subtle nuances so prevalent in Handel's vocal works. Upshaw has a clear understanding of early music performance and does not seek to "overinterpret" the music. Likewise, her performance of the newer pieces are equally sensitive. Although her diction is a bit obtrusive in the verse of Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, her vocalise is so moving, particularly at the end. Her performance of the Crumb is worthy of Jan de Gaetani, and other top-notch performers of Crumb's music.

The right selections for the right voice.......2001-12-01

The theme of this music is Sleep and Dreams. The 'night setting' is reflected in a very interesting variety of songs, both old and modern. The ethereal quality of much of this music
is well suited to Upshaw's silver toned voice, which expresses the fantasy and other worldliness of the compositions without losing the idea that the human soul can find fantastic strangeness and blessed comfort in each night of its existence.
By the way, and most significantly: the music is beautiful beyond words.

Crumb: Variazioni, Echoes of Time and the River

Average customer rating:

Crumb: Variazioni, Echoes of Time and the River
George Crumb , David Gilbert , Jorge Mester , and Louisville Orchestra
Manufacturer: First Edition
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00008J2QT
Release Date: 2003-03-11

Complete Crumb Edition, Volume 5: Easter Dawning, Celestial Mechanics, A Haunted Landscape, Processional

Average customer rating:

A must for Crumb fans
Wonderful CD
Ethereal Modern Music

Complete Crumb Edition, Volume 5: Easter Dawning, Celestial Mechanics, A Haunted Landscape, Processional

Manufacturer: Bridge
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Complete Crumb Edition, Vol. 6 - Echoes of Time and the River, Gnomic Variations, Four Nocturnes, Lux Aeterna
Complete Crumb Edition 9; Ancient Voices of Children, Madrigals Books I-IV, Eine Kleine Mitternachtmusik
Complete Crumb Edition, Vol. 8; Makrokosmos Books I & II, Otherwordly Resonances
Crumb: Zeitgeist, Music for a Summer Evening
Complete George Crumb Editon, Volume 7 - Unto the Hills, Black Angels

ASIN: B00005S6HT
Release Date: 2001-11-15

Tracks:

Easter Dawning (1992)
Celestial Mechanics (1979) - Alpha Centauri
Celestial Mechanics (1979) - Beta Cygni
Celestial Mechanics (1979) - Gamma Draconis
Celestial Mechanics (1979) - Delta Orionis
A Haunted Landscape (1984)
Processional (1983)
Easter Dawning (1992)

Album Description

This is the fifth release in Bridge's Grammy-award winning Complete Crumb Edition, and marks one of the most exciting releases to date. Volume 5 opens with the premiere recording of Crumb's carillon solo, "Easter Dawning". This 1992 composition is played by Don Cook, carilloneur at Brigham Young University. As played on the University's spectacular Dutch-built instrument, "Easter Dawning" is a tintinnabular feast for the ears. "Celestial Mechanics", for piano, four-hands follows, and is given a reading of stunning impact by the husband-wife duo team of Robert Shannon and Haewon Song. Crumb's "A Haunted Landscape" 1984) for orchestra is played by the Grammy-winning ("Star-Child") combination of The Warsaw Philharmonic with conductor Thomas Conlin. Crumb's "Processional"(1983),for piano, is played by the admirable Robert Shannon, and closing the disc, is a second performance of "Easter Dawning." Look for Bridge's "Complete Crumb Edition" on Amazon: BRIDGE 90! 28, BRIDGE 9069, BRIDGE 9095 & BRIDGE 9105.

Customer Reviews:

A must for Crumb fans.......2006-07-19

While this may not be the best introduction to Crumb's music (the sudden and jarring opening of Easter Dawning may be a turnoff to the uninitiated), it still clearly demonstrates Crumb's innovative genius to the newcomer. The performance of Celestial Mechanics is fantastic -- well balanced, clear, and captures every knock and pluck inside the piano. For this alone, the CD is worth buying.

The other works are lesser masterpieces, but worth exploring. They seem to be focused on suspending time. A Haunted Landscape ambles its way through a myriad of sound textures -- it's over just as you wonder what other sounds the orchestra can produce. The Processional is a stately piece for piano with bittersweet and changing harmonies. When compared with the amplified fireworks of Celestial Mechanics, it's a little tame and unexpected.

As for Easter Dawning, I personally find it kind of weak. The first minute or two are interesting in the harmonic textures that arise from the use of carillon, but the momentum disappears about halfway through it. It's only 3 minutes, but seems a lot longer. And why have two performances of it? Maybe I have very weak ears or a poor attention span, but the two performances that frame the disc sound exactly the same -- they're certainly not different enough to justify the encore.

Still, these are minor points for an outstanding CD. Very highly recommended.

Wonderful CD.......2002-12-07

I bought this because my piano duo was to be performing Celestial Mechanics. The performance by Shannon and Song (and their page turner!) is beautifully clean and shimmering. The rest of the pieces on the CD are also fantastic. Even my boyfriend, who is not a musician, loves listening to it.

Ethereal Modern Music.......2002-07-21

Crumb's music is multifaceted and diverse, yet distinctive and of a piece. "Easter Dawning"(performances of which open and close this disc) is a short carillon piece. It's dreamy, but compact. "Celestial Mechanics", the longest work here, is for two pianos, and explores an astonishing array of sonorities; some achieved by plucking/scraping strings and utlizing the body of the piano as a percussion instrument. This is often sparse music, with scurrying figures and sustained clusters emerging within the hushed, almost Oriental atmosphere. The louder sections of the piece combine Debussy-like clouds of sound and Bartokian dynamics with an unpredictable, yet logical, structure. The orchestral and solo piano piece are similarlly unique without merely being experimental for the sake of it. This is resolutely Modern music, atonal for the most part, but warm and inviting in a way serial music isn't for many people. Form has been arrived at by intuition, but with an underlying complexity that reveals itself in the sudden blossoming of sound out of pregnant silence. Over the course of a piece, these sound events create a multilayered ecosystem-in-time; like patches of vegetation in a semi-arid expanse.

Average customer rating:

Engaging and profound music

George Crumb: Orchestral Music

Manufacturer: Bridge Records, Inc.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Complete Crumb Edition 9; Ancient Voices of Children, Madrigals Books I-IV, Eine Kleine Mitternachtmusik
Complete Crumb Edition, Vol. 6 - Echoes of Time and the River, Gnomic Variations, Four Nocturnes, Lux Aeterna
Complete Crumb Edition, Volume 5: Easter Dawning, Celestial Mechanics, A Haunted Landscape, Processional
Complete George Crumb Editon, Volume 7 - Unto the Hills, Black Angels
Complete Crumb Edition, Vol. 8; Makrokosmos Books I & II, Otherwordly Resonances

ASIN: B0009HLCQK
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Tracks:

A Haunted Landscape
Echoes of Time and the River - Frozen Time
Echoes of Time and the River - Remembrance of Time
Echoes of Time and the River - Collapse of Time
Echoes of Time and the River - Last Echoes of Time
Star-Child - Introduction: Desolato
Star-Child - Vox Clamans in Deserto
Star-Child - Ascensus Potestatum Tenebrarum
Star-Child - Musica Apocalyptica
Star-Child - Seven Trumpets of the Apocalypse
Star-Child - Adventus Puerorum Luminis
Star-Child - Hymnus pro Novo Tempore

Product Description

This CD presents George CrumbÂ’s (b.1929) three mature orchestral compositions together for the first time. (CrumbÂ’s only other orchestral effort to date is his early Â‘doctoral thesisÂ’Â–Variazioni). This disc includes the Grammy-winning recording of CrumbÂ’s magnum opus, Star-Child, led by conductor Thomas Conlin, in a performance that won numerous awards from the international press,. Also included are CrumbÂ’s mysterious A Haunted Landscape, one of the composerÂ’s most colorful and mystic compositions, and his Pulitzer Prize-winning Echoes of Time and the River, a work both delicate and explosive. All three Warsaw/Conlin performances on this CD earned stellar reviews and perfect 10/10 ratings at ClassicsToday.com, and received overwhelmingly positive press in USA, Europe and the Far East. George Crumb occupies an important position among todayÂ’s composers, and this recording, compiling CrumbÂ’s three orchestral works, is a major addition to the Crumb discography. More Crumb on Bridge: Crumb Edition Vol. 1: BRIDGE 9028 Crumb Edition Vol. 2: BRIDGE 9069 Crumb Edition Vol. 3: BRIDGE 9095 Crumb Edition Vol. 4: BRIDGE 9105 Crumb Edition Vol. 5: BRIDGE 9113 Crumb Edition Vol. 6: BRIDGE 9127 Crumb Edition Vol. 7: BRIDGE 9139 Crumb Edition Vol. 8: BRIDGE 9155

Customer Reviews:

Engaging and profound music.......2007-06-27

I have consistently enjoyed Crumb's music in CD release; I find it haunting and powerful. Having attented live concerts of his music, I would love to have access to releases in DVD-Audio or SACD.

Complete Crumb Edition, Vol. 6 - Echoes of Time and the River, Gnomic Variations, Four Nocturnes, Lux Aeterna

Average customer rating:

Not a review, just a recommendation

Complete Crumb Edition, Vol. 6 - Echoes of Time and the River, Gnomic Variations, Four Nocturnes, Lux Aeterna

Manufacturer: Bridge
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Complete Crumb Edition, Volume 5: Easter Dawning, Celestial Mechanics, A Haunted Landscape, Processional
Complete Crumb Edition 9; Ancient Voices of Children, Madrigals Books I-IV, Eine Kleine Mitternachtmusik
Complete George Crumb Editon, Volume 7 - Unto the Hills, Black Angels
Complete Crumb Edition, Vol. 8; Makrokosmos Books I & II, Otherwordly Resonances
Crumb: Zeitgeist, Music for a Summer Evening

ASIN: B00008BK8Y
Release Date: 2003-02-05

Tracks:

Echoes of Time and the River - I Frozen Time
Echoes of Time and the River - II Remembrance of Time
Echoes of Time and the River - III Collapse of Time
Echoes of Time and the River - IV Last Echoes of Time
Gnomic Variations - Tema - lentamente, deciso
Gnomic Variations - Vars. 1-6
Gnomic Variations - Vars. 7-12
Gnomic Variations - Vars. 13-18
Four Nocturnes (Night Music II) - I: serenamente
Four Nocturnes (Night Music II) - II: scorrevole, vivace possibile
Four Nocturnes (Night Music II) - III: contemplativo
Four Nocturnes (Night Music II) - IV: con un sentimento di nostalgia
Lux Aeterna for Five Masked Musicians
Pastoral Drone

Album Description

Volume Six of Bridge's Grammy-winning George Crumb Edition features the premiere recording of the composer's only work for solo organ, the roof-raising "Pastoral Drone." Organist Gregory D'Agostino, quite literally pulls out all of the stops in Crumb's "in your face" essay. Also featured on this CD is the first digital recording of Crumb's seminal orchestral masterpiece, "Echoes of Time and the River." Awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1968, "Echoes of Time and the Rive," is among Crumb's most personal scores, with its four movements ranging from intimate chamber muisc to electrifying tutti outbursts. Bridge Records is also pleased to re-issue, for the first time on CD, legendary mezzo-soprano Jan DeGaetani's reading of Crumb's "Lux Aeterna." DeGaetani's relationship with Crumb inspired many of his finest scores ("Ancient Voices of Children," "Night of the Four Moons," etc.), and this re-mastered recording, at long last, restores her masterful performance to the catalog. Piano virtuoso Robert Shannon continues his work on this series with a powerful performance of "Gnomic Variations," and is joined by violinist Gregory Fulkerson for Crumb's eerily beautiful "Four Nocturnes."

Customer Reviews:

Not a review, just a recommendation.......2003-11-04

Crumb's music is not verbally describable except in technical, objective terms. Since this cd had no reviews, I would like to point out to prospective Crumb buyers who are just getting familiar with his music: If you enjoyed Crumb Edition #5 on Bridge, then you will also enjoy this recording. The music is not
"the same" but is equally interesting and enjoyable. For those
of you who bought "Quest" as their first Crumb cd, and were perhaps disappointed, I would like to point out that "Quest"is the
weakest of the Bridge editions, and would highly recommend all other cds in the series as a good second choice.

Average customer rating:

LAMBERT ORKIS/20TH CENTURY CON

Manufacturer: INNOVA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001ENYQC
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Tracks:

I. Alpha Centauri
II. Beta Cygni
III. Gamma Draconis
IV. Delta Orionis
Chamber Symphony For Piano And Electronic Sounds
Fantasy For Solo Harpsichord
1. Ringing
2. Our Heart's Delight
3. Ragtime

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Absolutely Live

1. A Haunted Landscape
2. Echoes of Time and the River - Frozen Time
3. Echoes of Time and the River - Remembrance of Time
4. Echoes of Time and the River - Collapse of Time
5. Echoes of Time and the River - Last Echoes of Time
6. Star-Child - Introduction: Desolato
7. Star-Child - Vox Clamans in Deserto
8. Star-Child - Ascensus Potestatum Tenebrarum
9. Star-Child - Musica Apocalyptica
10. Star-Child - Seven Trumpets of the Apocalypse
11. Star-Child - Adventus Puerorum Luminis
12. Star-Child - Hymnus pro Novo Tempore