Louisville Orchestra - Variazoni / Echoes of Time & the River (Echos II) - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Eric Craven is like no other composer - both because for most of his life, he has been a recluse from the musical establishment while living out his role as family man and teacher, and also because his compositional technique is his alone. Aleatory in general principle but more complex, his works contain elements of both high-order and low-order 'non-prescriptive' writing - in other works varying degrees of flexibility allowed to the performer. Totally abstract in form and concept, though inspired by a principle (here, the particle entanglement in Quantum Mechanics), the pieces, especially 'low-order' where the score is more prescribed, can take on the appearance of other forms such as baroque fugue, romantic prelude or even soft jazz. Moreover the music is hardly ever 'challenging' for the listener, with quasi-tonal, melodic flow. In many ways Craven is laying down a new direction for piano composition. Mary Dullea in her third album of Craven's music demonstrates her amazing pianistic prowess but also her perceptivity and understanding of the scores which she realises in full showing wonderful expertise in interpretation. Dullea, as both solo artist and member of the Fidelio Trio, is becoming one of the 'must-hear' pianists in the contemporary music world.

Album Tracks 1. Movement I. Prelude 2. Movement II. Aria 3. Movement III. Toccata 4. Movement IV. Perpetuum Mobile 5. Movement V. Epilogue

Album Tracks 1. I. Fervid 2. II. Festive 3. III. Poignant 4. IV. Tragic 5. V. Voluptuous 6. VI. Vehement 7. VII. Mournful 8. Variation I 9. Variation II 10. Variation III 11. Variation IV 12. Variation V 13. Variation VI 14. Variation VII 15. Variation VIII 16. Variation IX 17. Variation X 18. Variation XI 19. I. Vivo Grazioso 20. II. Andantino 21. III. Allegro Ma Non Troppo 22. IV. Presto Agitato