MMC New Century, Volume IX

Haimo, Block, Brown, Diehl, Nielson
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Róbert Stankovský
Michael Kramer, piano

From the Liner Notes:

Steven D. Block
Shadows

Although Steven Block’s Shadows is a complete musical composition unto itself, this and another of the composer’s works, Phantasmagoria, together comprise the second and third movements, respectively, of a projected four-movement symphony.

In addition to the standard array of orchestral instruments, Shadows employs a large battery of percussion, with an emphasis on tuned percussion. Regarding the underlying symbolism present in the piece, Block offers the following insightful comments:

“In Jungian psychology, the ‘Shadow’ is an archetypal concept which can best be described as the ‘dark side’ of the unconscious self. One goal for self-actualization… is to recognize one’s own darker aspects (these aren’t necessarily evil) in order to exert a moral effort at integrating and controlling the negative aspects of the ‘Shadow.’ Thus, when I wrote Shadows, I was thinking of the ‘Shadow’ in Jungian terms, of different shades of darkness and dark colors (e.g. the same passages occur re-orchestrated), and of literal shadows or imitation.”

Shadows makes an incisive entrance with its mechanistic opening measures, whose pointillistic dialogues are echoed with piston-like precision among the instruments, both on and off the beat. The music then moves into a brief, contrasting section of luminescent, sustained individual pitches and harmonies, from which emerges a surrealistic passage in the Bergian tradition of twelve-tone impressionism. Introduced by a harp flourish, the piano and strings share the spotlight, and are then joined by the other instruments of the orchestra. From there, the score reclass the pointillism found in the beginning of the work before reaching its final ethereal dreamscape. Veiled in a soft, harmonic shimmer, the piece drifts to a mystical close with the celesta repeating a series of delicately articulated arpeggios.

This recording of Block’s Shadows was funded via a Research Grant awarded by the University of New Mexico.

Track List:

Ethan Haimo
Symphony for Strings (1990)
01) Moderato [3:01]
02) Largo [4:26]
03) Presto [3:29]

Steven D. Block
04) Shadows (1993) [8:36]

J. Windel Brown
Concerto for Piano (1993)
05) Moderato [11:49]
06) Ritmico [2:59]
Michael Kramer, piano

Paula Diehl
Right of Way (1994)
07) Andante [3:33]
08) Adagio [4:57]
09) Adagio [5:13]
10) Andante [2:59]
11) Andante [1:11]

Lewis Nielson
12) Crosscurrents on the Vertical River (1992) [11:05]

Total Program Length: 61:39

Recording Information:

Recording venue: Slovak Radio and Television Studios, Slovak National Republic

Producers: Peter Zagar, Emil Nizansky
Recording Engineer: Hubert Geschwandtner
Recording Technician: Ludmila Cermanová

Executive Producers: Peter Kelly, Elliot Miles McKinley
Digital Mastering: Jonathan Wyner at M Works
Cover Design: Peter Kelly
Liner Notes: Elizabeth Pizer
Photo Credits: Patented Photos (P. Diehl)
Performing Rights: BMI—Steven Block, Paula Diehl, Lewis Nielson, Ethan Haimo, ASCAP

© 1999 MMC Recording, Ltd., all rights reserved