I have a couple of new CD collections out this summer — one of my 1950s percussion music, the other of wind ensemble pieces like Arctic Dreams and younger-band works like Bali and Beethoven’s Machine.
Patrick Roulet did a terrific job of assembling my percussion pieces on Michael Colgrass: Percussion Music, 1951-1957 for Equilibrium. He even included excerpts of me talking about music and my life as a composer. Bravo, Patrick!
The wind music CD — Composer’s Collection: Michael Colgrass on the GIA label — is available for download.
Here are a few excerpts from Brian Buerkle’s review in the American Record Guide:
On Arctic Dreams:
The work is in seven programmatic movements and uses some interesting colors and new sounds. Unique combinations of instruments and voices depict the icy environment, even animal calls. … I found a short video excerpt on the Internet from a new documentary, called Michael Colgrass: Musical Maverick, where he discusses the time he spent in the Arctic and how it inspired him to write Arctic Dreams. He has a unique voice in wind repertoire, and this piece is certainly an adventure.
On Bali:
One of his most challenging works for young band is his 2005 composition, Bali, inspired by an extended stay in Ubud, a town in south central Bali. It’s a creative and playful work that is full of the joy of its people. … All of these works [for younger bands] are performed with conviction by the North Texas Wind Symphony.
On Winds of Nagual:
[Colgrass] drew his inspiration from tales by Carlos Castaneda about a Yaqui Indian sorcerer from Mexico. The programmatic work is in seven movements that play along like a film score. The Cincinnati Wind Symphony performance is flawless and exciting.
On Raag Mala:
Colgrass uses the instruments in interesting combinations to mimic the sound of Indian culture and music. He rarely scores for the full band at once, instead writing a series of significant solo passages for clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, trombone, and flute that are often accompanied by a drone-like pipe organ. The Georgia ensemble plays very well. … The sound quality is fantastic in this excellent set.
You can read the whole review here. And if you aren’t already reading the American Record Guide, I highly recommend getting a subscription.