GORDON Peter
Still life and the deadman

RDC 5017


Newtone Records
USA Stati Uniti

 

Still Life and the Deam Man is an album featuring Peter Gordon's compositions for strings. I have been fascinated by string instruments ever since my first composition for string trio, Les Enfants Terribles, composed in 1973 and based upon the novel by Jean Cocteau. When I look at the string writing of other composers, string quartet in particular, I get an unencumbered view of their musical language. String composition has its own particular genre which transcends other stylistic differentiation. Listeners who are familiar with my previous work are aware that I cross stylistic boundaries quite frequently and often work in a multi-generic context. This CD differs, because all three pieces use strings as the basic instrumental texture. There are, however, three different approaches:

Awareness deals with the idea of string ensemble as a mass unit, with the melody progressively elaborated upon by and increasingly dense harmonic underpinning. It might, in a sense, suggest the old Silk Road, with textures of Arabic string orchestra mixed with a Northeast Asian sense of linearity. Each of the selections of this CD bears the influence of my having studied Japanese Gagaku and Korean Court music while in Asia in the last years.

De Dode, based upon the dark eroticism of George Bataille's writings, is into 22 movement, and evokes the parallels the death throttle and sexual orgasm - one of the principles of human nature. Within a dark transparent setting I try to bring out a passionate tension. The opposing forces of lushness and starkness battle until the final dirge. This performance by the Balanescu Quartet was record at London's Abbey Road Studio.

Rembrandt Suite deals with a pure beauty of music, yet with a dark undertone. Unlike the previous two works, I play saxophone with the strings, letting my presence as a performer enter the world of the string choir. This was recorded as part of a Tokyo Broadcasting System HDTV production, Painted Melodies, Spider's Garden, which featured Kit Fitzgerald transforming classic still life imaginary into expressive video painting."