Notes and Editorial Reviews
Full of surprises at every turn, Richard Wilson's AFFIRMATIONS is a scrambled work of musical art that is sure to bewilder any notion that non-tonal harmonies cannot produce enchanting results. Gaining recognition from such institutions as the American Academy/Institute of Arts and Letters and the Koussevitzky Music Foundation, Wilson's compositional style is skewed with elegance, reaching profundities greater than most of his generation. His 'Affirmations' is wrought with afflictions of his past. Dedicated to his father, the three-movement memorial shows divergent timbres coming together with an air of discontent. Laden with calculated tonal discord, the performance resembles a wicked song and dance.
'Intercalations' for solo piano is
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based on its pure definition of interpolation. The four movements each distinctively represent a piece of a larger puzzle, guiding us through a lyrical, yet moody melodic playground. 'Civilization and Its Discontents' for solo tuba is somewhat comical, relying solely on the virtuosic performance of Stephen Johns. Initially composed as a prologue to an opera, 'Transfigured Goat' features two characters, a man and woman, in parody with the accompaniment of clarinet and piano. Jovial, and light-handed, this set of movements is unique and crossed with humorous undertones.
Talented performances establish AFFIRMATIONS as an excellent addition to any modern collection. Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Affirmations by Richard Wilson
Performer:
David Fedele (Flute),
Allen Blustine (Clarinet),
Blanca Uribe (Piano),
Dorothy Lawson (Cello),
Rolf Schulte (Violin)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1990; USA
Date of Recording: 07/07/1999
Venue: Skinner Hall, Vassar College, New York
Length: 20 Minutes 56 Secs.
2.
Intercalations by Richard Wilson
Performer:
Blanca Uribe (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1986; USA
Date of Recording: 05/25/1998
Venue: Skinner Hall, Vassar College, New York
Length: 19 Minutes 56 Secs.
3.
Civilization and Its Discontents by Richard Wilson
Performer:
Stephen Johns (Tuba)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1992; USA
Date of Recording: 04/03/1996
Venue: Skinner Hall, Vassar College, New York
Length: 6 Minutes 48 Secs.
4.
Transfigured Goat by Richard Wilson
Performer:
Allen Blustine (Clarinet),
Richard Wilson (Piano),
Richard Lalli (Baritone),
Ann Hart (Mezzo Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1996; USA
Date of Recording: 07/08/1999
Venue: Skinner Hall, Vassar College, New York
Length: 17 Minutes 50 Secs.
Language: English
Sound Samples
Affirmations: I. Insistent
Affirmations: II. Playful
Affirmations: III. Doleful
Intercalations: I. Interspace
Intercalations: II. Interplay
Intercalations: III. Interlacings
Intercalations: IV. Interaction
Civilization and Its Discontents: I. Overcoming the Forces of Nature
Civilization and Its Discontents: II. Soap as a Measure of Civilization
Civilization and Its Discontents: III. Love, Necessity, and the Death Impulse
Civilization and Its Discontents: IV. The Agressive Impulse Thwarted
Civilization and Its Discontents: V. Bad Conscience and the Superego
Transfigured Goat: Interlude I
Transfigured Goat: III. -
Transfigured Goat: Interlude II
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