J. Brahms - Works for Chorus & Orchestra: Schicksalslied - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

In My Symphonic Poems, this album that is Mark John McEnroe's fourth recording overall for Navona Records, the Australian composer explores worlds both internal and external. On each of the album's ten tracks, McEnroe has crafted a musical painting, a work of art that describes, as it were, his reflections on the subject alluded to in it's title. The concepts for these very personal compositions, which were brought to life by the noted Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Anthony Armore, fall into two basic categories. The five selections on the first portion of the talk of the wonders of the natural world, of bio-diversity, and of the power of the seasons. From the spry energy of 'That Old Indian Summer', to the majestic dignity of 'Movements in the Night', McEnroe's talent for creating compositions that evoke both image and emotion is on vibrant display. The second half features two tracks that also explore ecological terrain. Those are combined with three distinctively introspective compositions which musically portray the joys and difficulties that are a part of daily life. The tumultuous beginning of 'The Passing', which the composer says is Inchabout letting go of old ideas that are no longer relevant,Inch evolves, as the music becomes brighter, to reflect the promise of a hopeful future. 'Echoes from a Haunted Past' captures the frustration at not having resolved issues from the past. Those tracks bookend the playful, pastoral 'A Pageant at the County Fair.' In his rather brief career, Mark John McEnroe has composed pieces that have been performed by solo pianists as well as by full orchestras. My Symphonic Poems, the latest addition to his robust body of work, confirms that his capacity to portray both ambiance and emotion is truly boundless.

J. Brahms - Choral Works 3 [COMPACT DISCS] date 07/27/2004

Fantasy and science-fiction are often treated as an escape from reality, but in the heart of those fantastic worlds lie prescient truths about our world. On the other side of that coin, some of the world's greatest aesthetic beauty comes in the form of raw science. The new album from Birmingham, Alabama's WRAY vibrates at the intersection of those dichotomies and others - hope and pessimism, wild and composed, joy and pain. There is no light without dark, no dark without light, a concept which birthed the dual record Stream of Youth / Blank World.