How can I find this 20th-century orchestral track I heard 20 years ago?
April 5, 2013 9:17 PM Subscribe
Twenty years ago I came across an album of twentieth century music and I'm pretty sure it was from some music festival - the Osaka or Ojai festival? - featuring 20th-century orchestral composers. And this particular track featured musical glasses and had "Mountain" in the title.
Where do I begin hunting?
I don't think it was by a big name composer (like Steven Reich or Philip Glass). But it had a semi-Copland sound to it. And I think the instruments included musical glasses. And I *think* the title had the world "Mountain" in it.
And those are the clues my foggy brain can come up with. Again this was about 20 years ago that I heard the album.
Any tips on how I could go about searching for this? I wonder if there's an archive somewhere of every CD album ever made? Ha. I just don't know where to begin. Googling around didn't really help so far.
I don't think it was by a big name composer (like Steven Reich or Philip Glass). But it had a semi-Copland sound to it. And I think the instruments included musical glasses. And I *think* the title had the world "Mountain" in it.
And those are the clues my foggy brain can come up with. Again this was about 20 years ago that I heard the album.
Any tips on how I could go about searching for this? I wonder if there's an archive somewhere of every CD album ever made? Ha. I just don't know where to begin. Googling around didn't really help so far.
This could be Schwantner's "...and the mountains rising nowhere." The original was for wind band; I'm not sure if he ever did an orchestral transcription.
Has the water glasses for sure.
posted by SNWidget at 11:17 PM on April 5, 2013
Has the water glasses for sure.
posted by SNWidget at 11:17 PM on April 5, 2013
Might you be thinking of Daniel Lentz (a Californian "minimalist" composer)'s "On the Leopard Altar" (perhaps you remembered "altar" as "mountain")?
"On the Leopard Altar, with its multiple vocal, keyboard and wineglass parts, haunting neo-romantic melodies, sparkling timbres, and unusual additive and subtractive structures, is a remarkable collection.
"Lentz's music inhabits what he terms a musical "state of becoming," where both new and reappearing musical and textual fragments are fused through complex layering processes. However, the real basis of his seductive music may be the dreamy impressionism of Debussy and the lyrical voice and keyboard interaction of Schubert's lieder." — John Schaefer, host of WNYC's New Sounds
posted by tenderly at 12:06 AM on April 6, 2013
"On the Leopard Altar, with its multiple vocal, keyboard and wineglass parts, haunting neo-romantic melodies, sparkling timbres, and unusual additive and subtractive structures, is a remarkable collection.
"Lentz's music inhabits what he terms a musical "state of becoming," where both new and reappearing musical and textual fragments are fused through complex layering processes. However, the real basis of his seductive music may be the dreamy impressionism of Debussy and the lyrical voice and keyboard interaction of Schubert's lieder." — John Schaefer, host of WNYC's New Sounds
posted by tenderly at 12:06 AM on April 6, 2013
The Schwantner piece is on a "Live from Osaka" CD from Sony, by the Eastman Wind Ensemble conducted by Donald Hunsberger.
posted by in278s at 7:02 AM on April 6, 2013
posted by in278s at 7:02 AM on April 6, 2013
Response by poster: [Sorry about the very late reply. Some stressful life stuff came up right after I posted the question and I didn't remember to come back.]
The Schwantner piece was it! Thanks so much! You all rock.
Here's the Amazon Link.
And the Daniel Lentz piece sounds great as well. I'll check it out.
I've heard that Hovhaness before - beautiful.
I'm so happy to have found this after all these years.
posted by jimmymcvee at 6:20 AM on April 30, 2013
The Schwantner piece was it! Thanks so much! You all rock.
Here's the Amazon Link.
And the Daniel Lentz piece sounds great as well. I'll check it out.
I've heard that Hovhaness before - beautiful.
I'm so happy to have found this after all these years.
posted by jimmymcvee at 6:20 AM on April 30, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by invitapriore at 9:43 PM on April 5, 2013