44 Results for : wispy

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    Desert Stars
    DESERT STARS: Solo Works for Piano and Guitar Composed and Performed by RUSSELL STEINBERG About the music... This CD is a collection of my solo pieces for piano and classical guitar. . The music is often quiet and reflective, but sings in warm tonal colors surrounded by a kind of hazy harmonic resonance. As a kid, I liked to hold down the pedal on the piano and blur the harmonies-that may be the origin of this hazy resonance that threads through this music, which otherwise has no pretensions of being modern or innovative. Some brief notes follow: Joy in Sea is an exuberant and playful romp of a piano prelude. The title is a pun on it's tonal center (C) and inspirational origin: I had just moved near the ocean in Pacific Palisades, CA. The Five Preludes for Guitar are simple romantic pieces for classical guitar. The second prelude, 'Daffodils,' is dedicated to Karen Whalen, a next door neighbor who confided that one night my music had turned her from suicidal thoughts -rather the opposite of what I was hearing from other neighbors! All three Floating Preludes for Piano glow with an upper register resonance. The wispy phrases of 'Clouds' unfold and float along in the extremes of high and low registers. Within the miniature world of 'Clocks' is a kind of mad ticking that courses through an angry cosmos. 'Elysium' is a nod to the special sonic worlds of French composer Maurice Ravel, but with my personal quiet treble resonances. The arches and ornaments of Arabesque are inspired by two famous classical works of the same name, one by Robert Schumann and the other by Claude Debussy. Amazing Grace' Variations was actually a composition assignment to produce stylistic variations on this famous hymn tune. The first variation features the tune upside down in the style of Erik Satie's Gymnopedies, the second variation sets the tune in an impressionist blues style, the third uses tone clusters alla Bartok, the fourth is atonal and spacy, and the fifth turns the tune into an Americana style chorale. 5 Finger Pieces for Piano are dedicated to a dear group of adult composition students. I tried to compose the simplest music I could imagine for them. Each piece begins with both hands in a particular 'five finger' position from which they never leave! The last piece, 'Jim,' is my shortest composition. Jim Bishop helped me produce a recording of my first symphony and contributed creatively with his graphic talent to my AudioMaps of the Beethoven Symphonies. How horrible and ironic that just a year later Jim's life was cut tragically short in an automobile accident. This CD is dedicated in his memory. We all miss Jim exceedingly, the world is different without him. Desert Stars is a set of three improvisatory fantasies that I conceived during nights stargazing in Death Valley. In the first movement, harmonies pulse and bleed together through the held piano pedal. A quasi lullaby is ripped apart in the second movement, unable to hold together in the vastness of space. The last movement is a gentle and nostalgic reinterpretation of the pulsing chords from the first prelude. BIOGRAPHY Russell Steinberg is a composer, performer, and conductor with a Ph.D. in Music from Harvard University, an M.M. from the New England Conservatory, and a B.A. from UCLA. Recent commissions include the Daniel Pearl Foundation, the Jewish Center for Culture and Creativity, and the Westchester Conservatory Mentor Orchestra. Steinberg's music has been performed in the United States and abroad, including concerts in Los Angeles, Boston, New York, Baltimore, Aspen, Connecticut, San Francisco, New Jersey, Vermont, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and recently Israel. His first symphony, CityStrains, was commissioned jointly by the Westchester Symphony in New York and the Hopkins Symphony in Baltimore His awards include an ASCAP Young Composers Grant, Composers Inc. and NACUSA prizes, MacDowell and Aspen Fellowships, and First Prize in the New World String Quartet competition. He is the founder and current Director of Music at the Stephen Wise Music Academy of Los Angeles and Artistic Director of he the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra. He also regularly teaches courses at UCLA in music composition and music listening. His writings include a novel approach to orchestral listening titled AudioMaps to the Beethoven Symphonies and several award-winning CD-ROMs including the Voyager Company's Richard Strauss: Three Tone Poems. His early music teacher, Dorothy Compinsky, encouraged him to compose while introducing him to piano, classical guitar, and violin. He continued composition studies most notably with Leon Kirchner, Arthur Berger, Elaine Barkin, and Kenneth Klauss, piano with Earle C. Voorhies and Salome Arkatov, and guitar with Ronald Purcell.
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    Fireflower
    Program Notes for FireFlower These piano solos were composed as a personal tonal record, similar to a diary. They were private expressions, like the pages of one's journal, of a greater process of personal healing. Now I present them as a "tone diary" with the hope that they may touch the listener in an intimate way. I. A Mother's Window is a collection of three pieces that have specific connections with each of my three sons. 1. Variations Toward a Theme (1981) was written while pregnant with my second son, Shad Mosher. Of all my pieces, this one sounds closer to early classical styles than the others. Shad, now a Marine Biologist and talented musician, is drawn to the Baroque and early classical era. 2. Silent Distance (1979) was written for my first son, Todd Murchison, when he was five years old. While on a trip with relatives, he got so homesick that his grandmother, Jean, brought him back early. Missing him as well, I was unable to sleep one night and wrote this. Upon return, I played it back for him and we cried together with the memories of that separation. Now a computer engineer and artist, he has talent for depicting his feelings through art and writing. 3. Crying Out (1982) was written while pregnant with my third son, Trannon Mosher. Although the themes came from the initial frustration at having to stop composing, the energy of the piece became a celebratory "breaking through" of that fear, and ultimately, a triumph. Trannon is now an aeronautical engineer and an energetic dancer. This piece reminds me of his style of choreography. II.Halfsight (1986) was inspired by the following e. e. cummings' poem. Because my life resembled the opening lines of this poem, the piece contains only the longings for the wisdom of the remaining lines: all worlds have halfsight, seeing either with life's eye (which is if things seem spirits) or (if spirits in the guise of things appear) death's: any world must always half perceive. Only whose vision can create the whole (being forever born a foolishwise proudhumble citizen of ecstasies more steep than climb can time with all his years) he's free into the beauty of the truth, and strolls the axis of the universe ---love. Each believing world denies, whereas your lover (looking through both life and death) timelessly celebrates the merciful wonder no world deny may or believe III. The Journey (1988) unfolded during a series of meditations. I had written all four before I realized that they were a set representing the four elements of air, earth, water, and fire. 1. Meadow Light came from the image and feeling of light beams through the woods, hovering upon the air over a field of grass and wildflowers. 2. Kiakra Cave represents the mysterious light of kiakra (a bioluminescent fungi sometimes found on damp wood on the forest floor at night) imagined within the complete cave darkness of mother earth. 3. Thru Water represents the ebbing/ flowing, rising/falling of water's continuous healing dance. 4. FireFlower represents the powerful burning and transformative powers of fire, as well as the courage it takes to allow it to do it's work in one's life. Once all that can burn is cleared, that which is left at the very center is one's core ... something of simple beauty, and as open as a flower. IV. Modal Character Sketches (1996-97) is a collection of short pieces based on the seven medieval scale modes, Ionian through Locrian. I was inspired by a conversation with my friend, Julie Harris, as she daydreamed of writing short pieces on each mode. We picked a common focal tone (G), giving us the potential to combine our sets collaboratively into a larger work in the future. Individual characters, from shadows and plants to people and feelings, arose within the modes of these sketches. 1. Fallen Majesty (Ionian) emerged from Hurricane Fran's fallen trees. The initial feeling of loss, once cleared, turned to hearing the voice of the tree spirits. 2. Dorian Dream (Dorian) floated from the wispy/lazy dream that began this project. 3. Gentle Grief (Phrygian) resulted from a phone call with my mother, Rose, after chemotherapy treatment for her cancer. The feeling was one of a gentle grief that falls lightly like a healing rain upon the earth. 4. Come Play (Lydian) skipped and ran with the innocent feeling of playfulness and the invitation to join in the fun. 5. Front Porch Rocker (Mixolydian) became the character of an elder woman with her memories, rocking back and forth. 6. Water Aura (Aeolian) arose from my observation of a watered plant. It's aura expanded, as happens with all life when nourished. 7. March of the Shadows (Locrian) arose from the natural dissonance of this mode that was banned in Baroque times due to it's Tonic/Dominant tritone. These shadows (feelings we try to ignore) are honored for their potential gift-bearing by parading them into the light. V. Sonata in e minor (Toward Connection) (1980) chronicles a journey through pain towards healing. The music was written from the memories of my personal experiences. I wrote the poem below to accompany it's premier in 1986: Toward Connection We yearn toward wholeness but grow into a disconnected world, parent/child earth/people spirit/soul all connection self, nature, humanity suffocating. Can the inner will of youth survive? Soon our world must be felt, we reach out but cannot touch, it pulls against the will to stay sane. We forget our earth we forget each other and ourselves, now the pain of new mistakes upon the old is no longer bearable, we give in to numbness. Out of touch we refuse to look at the nightmare we've created and fear fills the empty spaces each alone in hell! Awake! Our will toward peace toward connection.
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    Journey's Threads
    7 pieces of music featuring the beautiful counter tenor voice of Daniel Tucker and the elegant violin playing of Michael Peck, combined with the delicate piano, classical guitar, vocals and electronics of Ian Harris. An album that moves from breathtaking simplicity to dazzling virtuosity, creating varied landscapes of polished sound. REVIEWS "There are some classical music aficionados who are averse to the atonal tendencies of many modern compositions. Pianist Ian Harris however, has masterfully counteracted this trait with his clever inclusions of aurally pleasing tones and placid sparkle. On the Britain's second album The Journey's Threads he once again works with counter tenor Daniel Tucker and violinist Michael Peck. The opener "Over Ice Land" is hauntingly beautiful with it's stark mysterious aura. Tucker's vocals are lovely and ethereal with Peck and rustic flute calls echoing in the distance. Harris lends his vocals in the latter half of the song with his warmth nicely complementing the celestial counter tenor. The mostly instrumental "Between White Clouds" takes the romantic notion of painting the aural picture the title implies, yet Harris' rendering is more sophisticated. The delicate bells and electronic noises he employs around his piano work are like the wispy silver linings of the clouds. Peck's violin statements are thither and gone like a gentle gust. In the final portion of the song, Harris' tender vocals sing the title. "Walking Towards the Rainbow" is a quiet piano solo that begins with a melodic idea twice stated, as if to build up the gumption. Then Harris gently and ever so subtly plays an eighth note journey of rises and falls like footsteps on a garden path, yet as glistening as the water from a stream flowing over smooth pebbles. The listener can become so absorbed that the ending seems to sneak up. Water is actually heard along with mechanical gears in the onset of "Of the Loss of Time," whose lyrics are taken from the Elizabethan poet John Hoskins' work of the same title. Harris mixes synthesized strings with Peck while Tucker chants in this more modern sounding piece with no clear tempo and long pauses. Each musical idea is independent yet with the echo and the counter tenor's legato vowelizations there is a shroud of mist that encompasses and binds the song together. More direct is the violin and piano conversation in "Journey to the Horizon." Harris and Peck at times sound like they are playing in different key signatures, yet the two instrumentalists deliberately and expertly continue their statements exhibiting excellent dynamics and musicality. "L'espoir d'été" loosely translates to "the hope of summer" and Harris plays a cheery lead on piano adorned with violin, bells, triangle and synthesized bass guitar sachets. His lovely grace notes on the keys and overlaid vocals at the end harbour tranquility. The most mesmerizing piece on The Journey's Threads is the violin featured "Song of the Trees." Peck is multi-tracked playing different voices crying their own lament, yet they all fit into each other by a greater design, like the giant canopy of an antediluvian forest. Harris plays classical guitar adding structure and a glint of sunshine as it pours down into the depths and touches the golden branches beneath the thick leaves. Faint electronic pings undulate quietly as the song hypnotically melds all the musical voices in and out of each other until finally fading away. Harris has been an avid composer for over fifteen years. Therefore it is not surprising how elite and polished The Journey's Threads is. The composer's unique instrument pairings and shrewd melodic weavings can easily bring modern music to a wider and more appreciative audience." Reviewer: Kelly O'Neil, Review You Rating: 4 stars REVIEW The music found on The Journey's Threads involves the three-fold combination of counter tenor Daniel Tucker's vocals, Michael Peck's violin and Ian Harris' piano and various electronic instrumentation. It's a 7-song release that veers among jazz, classical pop and what used to be termed new age music. This album, however, is under Harris' name. Harris is both a composer and a video artist based in the UK. He's a trained visual artist, with a BA in Fine Art, as well as a scholarly musician with an MA in music. One of his more fascinating past works is the music he created for a 2001 film version of a Thomas Mann novel, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 3. He's also worked on orchestrations for multi-instrument performances, some of which were presented at the famous spiritual event, Greenbelt Festival. The album's most classical sounding track is one titled "Walking Towards The Rainbow." It's a mid tempo piano piece that clocks in at 3:29. For whatever reason, it conjures up images of an Irishman searching for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Maybe it's the word 'rainbow' in the title that brings such stereotypical pictures to the mind. Nevertheless, it's a pretty tune and quite a meditative one. "Of The Loss Of Time" makes excellent use of Tucker's vocals, as his voice simply soars over the instrumental section of the piece. This track is music put to a poem by John Hoskins, who was not only a writer of poems, but also a scholar of Greek, a lawyer, judge and politician. It's interesting to hear the way Tucker's voice plays off Peck's violin on this one. It's a credit to Tucker's singing ability that many times the listener may have trouble aurally discerning the difference between the vocal parts and the string parts. Tucker is such a spot-on singer when it comes to hitting the right notes, there are portions when his vocal and Peck's violin blend together nearly seamlessly. This is fascinating, and likely one of the probable reasons Harris chose to include both of these two artists on his project. "Journey To The Horizon," on the other hand, is an excellent collaboration between Harris and Peck. This one leans particularly close to the jazz spectrum of the stylistic continuum, as both Harris and Peck trade notes throughout. It leaves the overall impression of a jazz standard, only performed instrumentally. "L'espoir d'ete," is a slow, thoughtful piece. The project's finale, "Song of the Trees," multi-tracks the violin for both a beautiful and mysterious creation. One imagines environmentalism is near and dear to Harris' heart, as the cover photo on his album is a close-up of a very green leaf. The inside cover pictures a similar leaf, only this time a red one. Although it's difficult to pick out just one theme intended for this project, nature is one of it's bigger ones. In addition to the aforementioned "Song of the Trees," along with the leaf photography utilized in the CD's artwork, the land is mentioned in "Over Ice Land," clouds come up with "Between White Clouds" and God's amazing natural invention, the rainbow, plays into "Walking Towards The Rainbow." The overall impression left by this work is that of beauty. Beauty that is consistently found in nature, matched with beautiful music likely intended to reflect nature's beauty. Rock and pop music fans may be hesitant to investigate an album such as this one that prominently features a counter tenor singer in it's credits. For many, the very thought of a classical participant might give them cause to hesitate. However, once you hear what these three talented musicians have created together, your prejudices will likely disappear like a vapor. Reviewer: Dan MacIntosh, Review You Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5) REVIEW Those who haven't listened to a lot of new age releases might think of new age as a genre that is electronic 100% of the time. But while it is true that some new age recordings rely on electronic programming exclusively, that is by no means true of all new age recordings. Many other new age albums have successfully combined the electronic and the acoustic. On such albums, electronic programming and synthesizers are likely to be used alongside acous
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    MARABU Alcohol Ink Set UNDERWATER - 3 Alkoholtinten, 5 Blätter A6, Permanentmar
    Marabu Alcohol Ink-Set UNDERWATERFließende Gestaltungen, unvorhersehbare Farbverläufe und spannende Techniken - Starten Sie in die Welt der Fluid Art mit dem Alcohol Ink Set "Underwater". Das Set beinhaltet alles, was für den Start benötigt wird: Neben drei brillanten, mischbaren und schnelltrocknenden Alkoholtinten (Amethyst, Enzian, Diamant) sind fünf DIN A6 Blätter mattes, nicht saugendes Spezialpapier enthalten. Dieses Papier ist ideal auf die Anwendung mit Marabu Alcohol Ink abgestimmt und ermöglicht einen optimalen Farbfluss. Mit dem schwarzen, alkoholbasierten Permanent Marker mit Twin Tip (1 mm/0,5 mm) werden Verzierungen, Schriften und Skizzen auf die getrocknete Alcohol Ink Gestaltung aufgebracht. Der außergewöhnliche Farbton Diamant zaubert einen ganz besonderen, funkelnden Schimmer-Effekt. Der beiliegende Prospekt erläutert die Anwendung von Alcohol Ink, zeigt Ideen, Tipps und Tricks.Alcohol Ink Technik WISPY LAYERSAlcohol Ink Farbton auf Untergrund tropfen. Extender darüber geben. Mit dem Föhn (Kaltstufe) vorsichtig und langsam von außen nach innen föhnen. Die verflüssigte Farbe sammelt sich im inneren Bereich. Fortfahren bis die Farbe getrocknet ist. Extender auf die äußeren Kanten geben und Föhnvorgang wiederholen. Dünne, zarte Farbschichten (wispy layers) entstehen.Alcohol Ink Technik COLOUR SPLASHAlcohol Ink Farbton auf Untergrund tropfen. Extender darüber geben. Die Farbe gezielt von innen nach außen pusten (z.B. mit einem Bohrlochausbläser). Für Blumen Farbe im Kreis ringsum auseinander pusten. Vorgang mehrfach wiederholen bis gewünschtes Ergebnis erzielt wurde.Alcohol Ink Technik MASKINGMarabu Fixogum eignet sich wunderbar als Maskiermittel auf nicht saugenden Untergründen im Zusammenspiel mit Alcohol Ink. Fixogum auf Untergrund auftragen (z.B. Schriften, Linien etc.) und trocknen lassen. Anschließend Alcohol Ink nach Wunsch aufbringen. Gut trocknen lassen. Danach lässt sich der Fixogum-Kleber einfach vom Untergrund abreiben und das aufgemalte Motiv kommt zum Vorschein.Alcohol Ink Technik WIPE STENCILLINGUntergrund mit Alcohol Ink gestalten. Gut trocknen lassen. Schablone auswählen und auf den Untergrund legen. Küchenpapier o.ä. mit Extender befeuchten und über die Schablone reiben. So wird etwas Farbe vom Schablonenmotiv entfernt. Schablone abheben. Das Schablonenmotiv erscheint nun heller als der mit Alcohol Ink gestaltete Hintergrund.
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