SKU: PR.416415720

UPC: 680160636150.

Illuminating Journey is composed to celebrate Maestro Carl St. Clair's 25th Anniversary season with Pacific Symphony. Maestro St. Clair is one of the few conductors who has dedicated his time to new music and support for living composers. I first encountered Maestro St. Clair in 2004 when I was one of the finalists for the Young Composers Competition. After I won that competition, I had an opportunity to work with Maestro St. Clair on the piece that he commissioned for the Pacific Symphony in 2005. That's the beginning of the journey of our friendship. Illuminating Journey is inspired by Maestro St. Clair's personality and the music he loved. The piece is mainly based on the pitch material from Maestro St. Clair's name CARL which can be translated as C = C, A = A, R = Re, and L = La. That pitch material already has the character of Illuminating sound for the open 5th and octave. The piece also incorporates some musical references that have some meaning for Maestro St. Clair, such as the hopefulness of the melodic intervals from West Side Story, There's a Place for Us, composed by Leonard Bernstein, who was also Maestro St. Clair's mentor. Illuminating Journey starts with the rhythmic motion of the pitch C and moves on to create a set of pitches. The note C functions as a center for the endless energy of this piece and creates a triumphant ending. I would personally like to thank Maestro St. Clair for his dedication on my music and his friendship throughout the past 10 years. The work with Maestro St. Clair and the Pacific Symphony was an early step in my career as a composer. I often mentioned that I may not be able to come this far without that part of my life. Thank you very much, Maestro St. Clair and the Pacific Symphony. Let's celebrate our Illuminating Journey together.

SKU: DB.01-00681

ISBN 9790012200284.

Contemporary Classical meets Jazz Grooves.

Theremin's Journey is quite different. True, there is a piano - which plays bluesy, filmic, generally quite unmemorable music - but add in the theremin and pre-recorded electronics and the listener is off on a bizarre jazz meets sci-fi meets film-pop journey. The high-pitched spooky whine of the theremin is unmistakable, and unforgettable in small doses, as here; the work was in fact commissioned by Joanne Pearce Martin, who plays both theremin and piano. This track actually carries a 'health' warning on the cover: Crackles are part of the electronic track and are intentional: the CD is not defective! As it happens, the crackling is not particularly noticeable, and in general the electronics are atmospheric and additive in combination with the theremin. Especially the first and last two or three minutes of the 'journey' are really quite fascinating musically. (musicweb-international.com, May 2011) // Theremin's Journey places that curiously otherworldly instrument and piano in cheeky avant-garde tandem with electronic sonorities...(GRAMOPHONE, August 2011).

SKU: BT.AMP-418-140

9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dutch.

The Unknown Journey was commissioned by Kwansei Gakuin University Symphony Band which was established in 1954 and has grown to become one of the top college bands in Japan. The composer chose the title as the piece seemed to create its ownmomentum as it developed, starting slowly and continuously increasing the tempo. Towards the end it gradually transmogrifies into the closing bars of Ravel’s La Valse, a piece which perfectly characterises the idea of unstoppable momentum.

The Unknown Journey is geschreven in opdracht van de Kwansei Gakuin University Symphony Band, die werd opgericht in 1954 en daarna is uitgegroeid tot een van de beste universiteitsorkesten van Japan. De componist heeft de titel gekozen omdathet werk zijn eigen drijfkracht leek te creëren terwijl het zich ontwikkelde vanuit een langzaam begin en steeds in een wat hoger tempo. Tegen het slot wordt de muziek geleidelijk getransformeerd tot de laatste maten van Ravels La Valse, eencompositie die het concept van een onstuitbare drijfkracht perfect karakteriseert.

The Unknown Journey wurde von der 1954 gegründeten Kwansei Gakuin University Symphony Band, die zu den besten Universitäts-Blasorchestern Japans zählt, in Auftrag gegeben. Der Komponist wählte diesen Titel, da das Stück seinen eigenen Schwungzu entwickeln scheint, indem es langsam beginnt und das Tempo sich kontinuierlich steigert. Zum Ende hin verwandelt es sich allmählich in die Schlusstakte von Ravels La Valse, ein Stück, das die Idee des unaufhaltsamen Schwungs perfektbeschreibt.

The Unknown Journey fut commandé par le Kwansei Gakuin University Symphony Band, un orchestre d’harmonie établi en 1954 qui est désormais l’un des meilleurs orchestres universitaires du Japon. Le compositeur choisit ce titre puisque, pendantle développement du morceau, il semblait créer son propre élan, commençant lentement et accélérant continuellement. Vers la fin il devient progressivement semblable aux dernières mesures de La Valse de Ravel, un morceau qui caractériseparfaitement l’idée d’élan irrépressible.

SKU: PR.114408750

UPC: 680160013289. 8.5 x 11 inches.

This work was commissioned by the Friends of the Phoenix Public Library for the dedication of the new Music Room and made possible in part through the funds from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and Meet the Composer-Arizona. Diary of a Journey was composed between July and September 1995 for the group Arpeggio. During the early summer of 1995, my wife and I took a vacation to Prague and Budapest. It was the first trip for both of us to these former Iron Curtain capitals. The train ride through the beautiful country-side, the dilapidated small villages and towns, the magnificent architecture and the feeling of grandeur in the two major cities left an indelible impression on me. I longed to write some kind of an essay about it. Diary of a Journey is the result of some of these thoughts, which were sketched (musically) as we visited each place. There are four 'snapshots' or movements which do not portray a specific scene, but rather try to capture the impressions I gathered from the people we observed and met, and the many awe-inspiring experiences we had. Throughout the journey, I felt that people were clinging to a tenacious hope for a better future, no matter how long it will take to realize it. In the first movement each player portrays a struggle against all odds, and with great energy and even wit tries to overcome the obstacles, ending on one serene high note as a resting point after all the conflict. The second 'snapshot' tries to capture the deep faith of a newly regained religiosity. It is chant-like, and uses as its basic melodic material a famous Czech hymn, penned by the great religious reformer John Huss. This movement is played very freely, without bar-lines and with the hymn shining through the fervent chanting. The third movement is a kind of 'demonic' scherzo. Fast and furious, the three instruments vie with one another in a true perpetual motion frenzy, which is at times relieved by short, more pastoral melodic fragments. A rather wild ending should leave everyone breathless. Finally, in the fourth 'snapshot' the instruments play a bit more as a team, meaning that is that there is more melody with accompaniment, and more imitative music giving the impression of a group effort. The energy is still at a high level but long lyrical lines abound, accompanied and interrupted at times by undulating fast notes still depicting the struggle against the blight which any visitor notices all around these countries, yet also showing the determination of the people to conquer adversity. --Samuel Adler.

SKU: CL.012-4108-01

Mt Everest has attracted the most adventurous of mountain climbers for decades, with many meeting their fate in the attempt to scale the world's highest mountain. The legend of the Yeti has tales of the wild, hairy creatures serving as protectors of Everest and it's villages. The music begins boldly, depicting the majestic sight of this magnificent mountain as our journey begins. The music develops as our journey progresses, telling an eventful and tumultuous tale reaching a stunning climax as the apex of the mountain is reached. From here, the work subsides as the breathtaking vistas unfold in the beautiful, lyric sounds before building to a stunning conclusion of majesty and grandeur. A truly outstanding work, Everest: The Forbidden Journey is destined to become a classic for concert and festival use. Don't miss this epic musical adventure!

SKU: CF.PPS53F

ISBN 9781491152652. UPC: 680160910151.

Illyria is a region in southern Europe, and the name has been used in books and music throughout history, including Shakespearean plays. Composer Sean O'Loughlin takes beginning students on a musical journey, starting with broad melodic statements by the brass, bold full ensemble statements, a contrasting lyrical section, and concluding with a relentless finish. Journey to Illyria is a sophisticated musical presentation that is still playable by the youngest of students.
The title Journey to Illyria comes out of a recent internet search that came up with a similarly titled book by an author named Sean O'Loughlin (no relation). I'm always fascinated by how connected and small this world can seem. After some further research, I found that Illyria is also a name that appears in some fantasy fiction books and even on the TV show Angel. All of this gets wrapped into the music for this piece.It begins with a broad melodic statement by the brass. It develops further at m. 9 and then transitions to a full statement at m. 25 with plenty of imitation between upper and lower voices. A contrasting slower section follows at m. 39, which should bring out the haunting, rich sound of the ensemble. The fast section returns at m. 46 with progressively building imitation to bring back the opening gesture at m. 58. The music then is relentless to the rousing end.