CDCM Computer Music Series Vol. 29 - Virginia Center for Computer Music

Track Listings

1. Sea of Reeds - F. Gerard Errante

2. Thrum

3. There Is a Gray Thing

4. Three Summers Heat: Just Now the Sea-Green Banners Fly

5. Three Summers Heat: Just Now the Early Peach Is Red

6. Three Summers Heat: It's Midsummer and Too Hot to Walk

7. Three Summers Heat: Summer Earth Is Windless. Heat Still Presses

8. Three Summers Heat: Light Clothes! Few Clothes!

9. Three Summers Heat: I Remember Desire Like White Light

10. Three Summers Heat: I Raise My Head to Look at T'Ung Trees

11. Organ Nose

12. Odd Waves - Martin Goldray

13. Something Else Again: Opening - Martin Goldray

14. Something Else Again: Quasi Cadenza - Martin Goldray

15. Something Else Again: Aloft - Martin Goldray

16. Something Else Again: Swinglow - Martin Goldray

17. Something Else Again: Emerge/Merge Closing

Tracks:

Sea of Reeds - F. Gerard Errante
Thrum - Susan Narucki
There Is a Gray Thing - Susan Narucki
Three Summers Heat: Just Now the Sea-Green Banners Fly - Susan Narucki
Three Summers Heat: Just Now the Early Peach Is Red - Susan Narucki
Three Summers Heat: It's Midsummer and Too Hot to Walk - Susan Narucki
Three Summers Heat: Summer Earth Is Windless. Heat Still Presses - Susan Narucki
Three Summers Heat: Light Clothes! Few Clothes!
Three Summers Heat: I Remember Desire Like White Light
Three Summers Heat: I Raise My Head to Look at T'Ung Trees - Susan Narucki
Organ Nose
Odd Waves - Martin Goldray
Something Else Again: Opening - Martin Goldray
Something Else Again: Quasi Cadenza - Martin Goldray
Something Else Again: Aloft - Martin Goldray
Something Else Again: Swinglow - Martin Goldray
Something Else Again: Emerge/Merge Closing

Customer Reviews:

A good introduction to computer music for the timid.......2001-03-07

This 29th volume in the Consortium to Distribute Computer Music's continuing survey of the significant centres of computer-based music making within the USA focuses on the Virginia Center for Computer Music (VCCM) at the University of Virginia.

As founder of the VCCM, it is perhaps only fitting that the most prominent exposure on this disc should be given to the music of Judith Shatin, with almost 32 of the CD's 74 minutes given over to her works. The longest (17:48) is "Three Summers Heat", for soprano and computer music. Dating from 1989, this work draws its inspiration from some lines of fifth century Chinese poetry. The soprano is given a sparse, yet fairly lyrical (for 20th century vocal works) setting of seven texts drawn from "A Gold Orchid" by Tzu Yeh. In keeping with its inspirational material, the electronic portion of Judith Shatin's composition provides little more than minimal colouring around the live vocal part. Most of the sounds derive from computer-controlled MIDI synthesiser, sampler and effect units, and combine to add a gentle gloss of light synthetic tuned percussion-like lines, as well as the occasional gently processed vocal fragment. There are no outrageous treatments here - indeed nothing that need worry anyone fearing the worst about what the term 'computer music' may mean!

Another substantial work (at 13:35) by Judith Shatin opens the disc. "Sea of Reeds" (1997) is for clarinet (with extensions) and live electronics. The extensions used are lengths of PVC tubing and also pieces of cardboard extensions inserted within the instrument. The result sounds more like a Tibetan mountain-horn than clarinet at times, and Shatin uses this character to magical effect in the work's tranquil opening. From its slow, meditative beginnings, "Sea of Reeds" progresses through a contemplative exploration of the instrument's extended sonorities, with additional contributions from some simple live electronics - mostly of the form of digital delay effects. These contribute echo and reverberation, allowing the soloist to indulge in some glittering duets with his own alter-ego, before finally reverting to the meditative brooding of the opening to bring the work to a close. I always feel that Judith Shatin is at her most comfortable when writing for wind instruments, and this work must be amongst her finest to date.

The other composition on the disc for live performer and computer music is Alicyn Warren's "Something Else Again" (1996). This work consists of 5 short movements for either piano solo, or else piano and tape accompaniment. The piano part is somewhat reminiscent of the early piano études of Olivier Messiaen (although without the birdsong!) while the tape part consists of computer processed recordings of simple sounds, such as balls bouncing, or rolling through metal pipes and, I suspect, paper being crumpled. While the sounds on the tape are frequently quite beautiful and invariably interesting, I have serious doubts about the way the two parts of the work mesh together. Mostly, I found myself unable to listen to both together, while each one distracted me from listening to the other!

For all its unsatisfying structure, "Something Else Again" still works rather better than the tape work "Odd Waves" (1995) by Brad Derrick, which precedes it on the disc. In this piece, the composer betrays his background as a drummer in an overly long experimentation in different metrical arrangements of computer-generated noise! I was bored long before its end. Michael B Long's "there is a grey thing" (1996) and Neal Troum's "Organ Nose" (1997) [I do not make these titles up, I assure you!] are not a lot better, either. The latter does improve as it progresses, though, and both are mercifully short! Thankfully, the tape music component of this disc is salvaged by John Gibson's richly textured study of computer-processed acoustic guitar sounds, "Thrum" (1998). This is a gorgeous composition, which although of some 9 minutes duration seems to flit by in a moment!

As with nearly all CDCM's discs, this CD offers a very mixed bag but it can still be recommended with only minor reservations to anyone even remotely interested in the state of contemporary western art music at the close of the twentieth century. Well done, CDCM: another good release.

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Recommended Music:

Start the Party Again

Baroque Sonatas & Canzonas

Animism

Music: Vanda

Beat Classics [Import]

BBC Radio One Live in Concert [Live]

Ate Voce Chegar [Import]

Aqua [Original recording remastered]

American Gypsy

All Creatures of Our God and King

All Seeing Eye [Import] [Limited Edition]

Another Think Coming [Enhanced]

Acapulco Cuerpo Y Alma

If You Don't Know Me by Now

Feels Like Home (CD+DVD)

1. Sea of Reeds - F. Gerard Errante
2. Thrum
3. There Is a Gray Thing
4. Three Summers Heat: Just Now the Sea-Green Banners Fly
5. Three Summers Heat: Just Now the Early Peach Is Red
6. Three Summers Heat: It's Midsummer and Too Hot to Walk
7. Three Summers Heat: Summer Earth Is Windless. Heat Still Presses
8. Three Summers Heat: Light Clothes! Few Clothes!
9. Three Summers Heat: I Remember Desire Like White Light
10. Three Summers Heat: I Raise My Head to Look at T'Ung Trees
11. Organ Nose
12. Odd Waves - Martin Goldray
13. Something Else Again: Opening - Martin Goldray
14. Something Else Again: Quasi Cadenza - Martin Goldray
15. Something Else Again: Aloft - Martin Goldray
16. Something Else Again: Swinglow - Martin Goldray
17. Something Else Again: Emerge/Merge Closing