infotext:
NOTES ON CONVERGENCE In the broadest sense, composing is a journey from inwardness to clarity. One is carried from piece to piece, into stable and expanding shifts and shapes; harmonic and rhythmic strettos and interweavings; selective sounds, clusters and timbres of light and darkness - all for one goal: completion on a personal and universal level. One begins by capturing (as artist Robert Motherwell puts it) "the fleeting spark of inspiration"—the idea (or ideas) that underpin and carry the entire composition. Differences in content offer an opportunity to include inner voices that connect to and shape the musical landscape and topography that emerges. Stylistic classifications such as »minimalist«, »romantic« or »jazzer« are not included. In my case, I use the elements that I need and go the way and where I have to go. The compositions on Convergence are profoundly different: separated by time, place, emotion, event and "spark". The outcome of a trip to Antarctica calls for a spiritual commentary on the cold, emptiness and unimaginable beauty, while a trip to an art museum in San Francisco first leads my eyes to a deep connection with the colors and visions of the art, which then invades my heart . Reading a fantasy tale carries my imagination in clouds of ghosts, dreams and death. Whereas a piano sonata speaks of loss, anguish, fatherly affection, anger and love. Finally, the reunion with a musical master, Duke Ellington, allows me to reinvent and break new ground with three great classical masterpieces – a kind of rebirth, a form shift and expansion of form, mood, length and content. Piano Sonata # 5 Written and completed in 5, Sonata for Piano #2006 is dedicated to the memory of my son Olivier Altman who passed away in 2004. The form of the work is quickly revealed (this sonata always gave the impression of being one of my most organic works) in its introduction, which already anticipates the later material and its development in the relationships between the keys. The choice of C sharp minor as the dominant key best suited my mood and the content of the sonata at the time of composition. It is a rarity in any musical epoch that such an emotional drama, with its changing colors at times delicately at times violently, is expressed in an organic and connected form such as that of the sonata. The greatest challenge for me as a performing artist is the interpretation of such a work - both as a musical-architectural structure and as a deeply moving expression of the heart. Performing Beethoven's sonatas is a similar experience. Laurie Altman's sonatas have much in common with these. The development of the motives, the relationships of the keys, the way in which the meditative and translucent slow motive develops in a kind of fantasy into an exuberant and triumphant fugue (in the case of the Piano Sonata # 5 a reformulation of the opening motif), reminiscent of the Hammerklavier Sonata, Op. 106. It shows the triumph of unstoppable creative force over the tragedy and sadness of human life. With the Piano Sonata # 5 Laurie Altman translates Beethoven's universal psychological drama into the musical language of the 21st century. Antarctic Convergence for tenor saxophone, piano and double bass The beginnings of this composition are, so to speak, on board the expedition ship “National Geographic Endeavor”, on which my wife Jeannine and I made a trip to Antarctica in 2006. I was haunted by the idea of finding a sound that would bring me closer to the emptiness, the vastness, the colour, the cold and the pristine stillness of this remarkable place. It became a more or less clear AABBAAB form. However, improvised statements by the three instruments become personal commentaries: dialogues within the void, determination of places, temperatures, change and end. Laurie Altman's Antarctic Convergence is program music in the best sense. It's a moving piece that very accurately captures both the desolation and the beauty of the ice world. It's also a beautiful example of one of my favorite characteristics of Laurie Altman's music, his wonderful sense of harmony. From the first moment of reading I was completely taken by the colors of the chords that define the piece. From his deep understanding of timbres, he transfers this timbre perfectly to the piano. Pedro's story for piano solo The Mexican pianist Ana Cervantes awarded the commission in 2007 Pedro's story, after being asked by a group of composers to provide musical impressions of the groundbreaking work Pedro Paramo by the Mexican writer Juan Rulfo. Juan Rulfo (1917–1986) was a distinguished Latin American novelist, short story writer, and photographer. Pedro Paramo, a fantasy novel of sorts, is set in a mythical hell on earth inhabited by the dead haunted by their past moral transgressions. I've had the opportunity to hear the work of a few other composers on this and in some cases found it to be a sort of classic "New Age" fantasy - a bit too predictable and consistent in its use of movement/still, loud/quiet or overly dramatic breaks. My version of Pedro's story is far more jazzy, with a decidedly Latin hue, a song form as structure, AAB, that slowly veers into the fantasy realm without taking it too seriously. Laurie Altman Pedro's story by Laurie Altman is simply a story. A strange tale perhaps, but as logical as Rulfo's masterpiece. The novella forces the reader to understand everything from a retrospective point of view. Laurie Altman's version requires the listener to do the same. What matters is not the impressionistic portrayal of the ghosts in the story, but the experience of reading the narration. It's a story that suggests a musical version as it involves different levels of time, both continuous and disrupted/fractured. Laurie's Pedro's story is as erudite and concise as Rulfo's. There is nothing trivial, nothing that shouldn't be there. Clipper Erickson Romare Bearden: A Gallery Tour for tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, piano and double bass Romare Bearden: A Gallery Tour is evidently in some respects Mussorgsky's pictures of an exhibition modeled, even if the connection to this work was not a consciously motivated process. Having experienced the full range of extraordinary artworks at the San Francisco Art Museum, I spontaneously and immediately wanted to begin a new composition - a kind of tribute both to the diversity of the exhibition and to Bearden's treatment of colour, structure and shape. All this influenced and strengthened my idea of a later one Gallery tour. The overall structure of the work is composed of a series of pieces, eleven in number (the eleven gallery spaces in which the exhibition took place), after an opening statement from the piano, with a short ritornello interwoven periodically between the galleries is and thus forms the connecting unit of the work with at least five clear repetitions. The first series of galleries, numbers 1 to 7, are intended explicitly as small precise musical occurrences, somehow akin to the way in which a painting or collage is first seen and observed attentively from a distance. From Gallery 8 onward, the pieces lengthen, traversing the expanse of this great artist's oeuvre, so to speak, transferring excitement and intensity from screen to sound and ultimately instrumental dialogue: Gallery 8 is a caricature of Jerome Kern's standard All the things you are with improvisations, gallery 10 is a rendering of the spiritual Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen (Bearden's work deeply touches the souls of people of color who are closely connected to life and music making). Gallery 11 is the final summary. When like-minded musicians get together in New York City for a session, we always start with a "piece," which in this case means free improvisation with nothing said, where we just play together. I always think that's what's going on in Laurie Altman when he's composing: the interplay is happening in his own mind and spirit. The muse speaks to him intimately and visits him often. He composes with harmonic and rhythmic complexity, with strong form and beautiful melodies, and yet all the sounds are free, fresh and necessary. These two compositions Antarctic Convergence and Romare Bearden: A Gallery Tour represent the impressionistic and improvisational idiosyncrasy that Laurie Altman embodies: they are fearless, seeking and destined to be in the world. I admire Laurie Altman's ability to create works of larger form and his homage to the great artist Romare Bearden is fantastic work. It is a great joy for an improviser to be able to invent melodies supported by such a clear and evocative musical background as is consistently the case in Laurie Altman's piece. Much of the music is rather complicated, with a plethora of mixed time signatures and quirky groupings, odd phrasing and intricate harmonies, but always the music remains organic and clear. Altman doesn't compose the music complicated just to be complicated. He composes what he hears and feels, and this results in his music—regardless of the technique used—sounding original, melodic and (most importantly) beautiful. 3 for Duke Version for flute, soprano and piano Duke Ellington's music pulsates in my body. Ever since I first played the piano when I was 11 or 12 Sophisticated lady I'm convinced that his greatness lies in the directness and clarity of his voice, his unexpected shifts in rhythm and mood, coupled with the ability to never to stop "swinging", to be absolutely to the point, refined, unmistakably honest and haunting. These three original Ellington pieces are scored for flute, voice and piano. The structure of the work begins with the solo flute, which both directly and intricately makes its way to the first words "They say" in the opening bars of Sophisticated lady seeks. This »lady« develops into a vehicle for voice and piano. Gradually one is confronted with something that is empty, alone, speculative and meditative. »And when nobody is night, you cry«. A threefold "You cry" finally emphasizes and powerfully ends the song. My heartfelt thanks go to all the musicians who have invested endless amounts of time, learning and creative energy in this CD. Helen, Patrice, Scott, Andrew and Clipper: Playing with you, or just listening, has been an enriching experience that has given me the space to be something more than just a die-hard composer with a fixed vision. This greater flexibility, flow, and openness to suggestions and comments gave the works the opportunity to get better and grow stronger, eventually moving in and out of new paths. My heartfelt thanks go to Judith Sherman, engineer and producer, and her assistant Jeanne Velononis for such inspired listening and seeing insight. I have become a better composer all the more as you have found my inner voice and allowed it to confidently and often subtly express itself and find its place. I give my hugs to my wife Jeannine for her great, expressive photos and my dear friend Christian Henking, who photographed me at an opportune moment. Finally, my heartfelt thanks go to Wulf Weinmann and NEOS Music. I am honored by this support for the project and proud to be associated with a company so unquestionably dedicated to the dissemination of modern music that excels in expressiveness, uniqueness and quality. Translation from English: Alexandra Zöllner |
program:
CONVERGENCE Piano Sonata # 5 (2006) 22:52 [01] I Introduction 08:29 Clipper Erickson, piano [05] Antarctic Convergence (2006) 08:36 Andrew Rathbun, tenor saxophone [06] Pedro's story for solo piano (2007) 06:35 Clipper Erickson, piano [07] Romare Bearden: A Gallery Tour (2006) 23:01 Andrew Rathbun, saxophones 3 for Duke (2006) 14:15 [08] I. Sophisticated Lady 06:45 Patrice Michaels, soprano total time 75:43 |