Innova 655

 

Move in the Changing Light

Phillip Schroeder

 

Move in the Changing Light 2 (2005)     12:48

     multi-track soprano, 5 pianos with digital delays, and synthesizer

 

Rising, See the Invisible (2004)     8:50

     baritone, cello, 2 pianos with digital delays, synthesizer, and vibraphone

 

Where Joy May Dwell (2005)     15:55

     2 pianos and 2 pianos with digital delays

 

Make a Distinction (2004)     0:59

     pianos and synthesizer

 

The Patience It Contains (2005)     6:31

     2 pianos, 1 piano with digital delays, synthesizer, and suspended cymbal

 

This We Have (2005)     9:33

     soprano, 3 pianos, 1 piano with digital delays, synthesizer, and electric bass

 

Move in the Changing Light 1 (2004)     7:28

     5 pianos with digital delays and synthesizer

 

Amy McGinty, soprano

Robert Best, baritone

Daniel Cline, cello

Phillip Schroeder, piano, synthesizer, electric bass,

     percussion, and digital delays

 

Phillip Schroeder was born in 1956 in Northern California and raised in a military family. His life as a musician began early and has paralleled his diversity of surroundings, now eleven states: trumpet in concert bands, boys and mixed choirs, electric bass in rock bands, orchestral and chamber conducting, experimental improvisation ensembles, and piano performance. He has composed music for orchestra, wind ensemble, live electronics, chamber ensembles, choir, instrumental solos, and voice, all variously described as having "brilliance and openness" with "powerful expressive qualities that focus on subtle shadings and nuances," and "expansive, lyrical sound-worlds."

 

He has appeared as a guest composer, lecturer, and performer at venues throughout the United States and Europe, and has performed his own chamber works on more than 150 concerts. As a New Music advocate, he has hosted numerous contemporary music festivals and conferences, has performed and conducted myriad works, and serves as the Producer of the Society of Composers, Inc. Performers Recording Series. His music is presented on Capstone Records, Boston Records, innova Recordings, and Vienna Modern Masters; his scores are available through the composer and Imagine Music, Moon of Hope Publications, Recital Publications, and Bocal Music. Schroeder currently teaches at Henderson State University in Arkansas. He received a BM from the University of Redlands, MM at Butler University, and PhD from Kent State University. Among the many influences on his work, the most significant include Taoism, daily meditations, excellent food, the overtone series, and the love and patience of good friends.

 

ŇShimmering," "glistening," "scintillating," "ethereal," "dreamy," and "floating" are words that may describe this recording of Phillip SchroederŐs very recent works.

 

I know of nothing else quite like these pieces, which are united by

several techniques, most notably the use of digital delay, which creates kaleidoscopic overlays of sound—canonic

imitation, whereby the harmonies slowly change, one emerging from another. Only one work, Make a Distinction, does not use digital delay, per se. But what else than a giant digital delay is its use of multi-tracked piano?

 

One of the most interesting aspects of these works is their melodic content. Intervallic motives can be heard repeating, such as the downward third and fifth in Move in the Changing Light 2 or the rising second and falling third in Rising, See the Invisible. What I find most remarkable and

fascinating is the unpredictability of the motion of these lines. In this respect, they resemble Gregorian or Indian Chant or some of the lines in the early works of Satie. They are not bound by traditional four-bar phrases or cadence types. They seem magical and expansive, and even evoke a trance-like quality.

 

                              —Larry Solomon, 2006

 

Robert Best, baritone, is an Associate Professor of Voice at Baylor University. He earned a DMA in Vocal Performance/Pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder and MM and BM degrees from Arizona State University. He has performed song recitals and opera roles throughout the United States. A devoted advocate of new music, Best is featured on two CDs on Capstone Records of vocal chamber music written specifically for him by Phillip Schroeder: Turning to the Center (2002) and Songs of My Affinities (2003). In reviews of these recordings, The Journal of Singing described his work as: "...a rich and attractive voice as well as an astute musicality" and "...warm baritone voice, superb singing," and New Music Connoisseur wrote, "The performance by Robert Best is magnificent."

 

Soprano Amy McGinty was born and raised in Central Arkansas. Her life as a musician began early with piano lessons, singing in churches, and playing clarinet. She has studied piano with David Harrison, clarinet with Kevin Taylor, and voice with Lydia Evanson and William Higgins. She has toured Europe with the Arkansas Ambassadors of Music, and sung with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the New England Symphonic Ensemble as a member of the Henderson State University Concert Choir. McGinty has performed soprano solos in such works as SchubertŐs Mass in G and MozartŐs Regina Coeli. She is a graduate of Henderson State University with a Bachelor of Music Education with an emphasis in voice, and teaches in the Benton, Arkansas school district.

 

Originally from Chicago, Illinois cellist Daniel Cline is a member of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Rockefeller String Quartet. Cline was born into a musical family where he began cello studies at the age of five. He attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree and received his Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music. His major teachers have included Hans Jensen, Steven Doane, Richard Aaron, and Paul Katz. As an educator, Cline is on the music faculties of Hendrix College and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, while also maintaining a studio of private students.   Outside of music he can usually be found training to run a marathon or experimenting in the kitchen.

Recording: Harwood Recital Hall, Russell Fine Arts Center,

Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas, January through October, 2005

Recorded on a Bšsendorfer Imperial Grand Piano.

 

Recording Engineer: Phillip Schroeder

Editing: Scott Fraser, Architecture, Los Angeles, CA

Mastering: Kevin Gray, AcousTech Mastering, Camarillo, CA

Design and graphics: Jim Fox

 

All music licensed with BMI.

 

Special thanks to Jeri-Mae Astolfi, Malissa Bain, Jim Fox, John Jones, Larry Solomon, and Sara SoRelle.

 

innova Director: Philip Blackburn

Operations Manager: Chris Campbell

innova is supported by an endowment from the McKnight Foundation.