Details

Field of Interest

Classical Music

Composer

George Crumb, 1929-

Content Type

Music recording

Duration

1 hour 3 mins

Recording Engineer

David Walters, fl. 1993

Format

Audio

Sub Genre

Suite

Label

Mode Records

Performer

Margaret Leng Tan, 1945-

Producer

David Walters, fl. 1993

Date Recorded

2003-07-01

Review

Makrokosmos I and II for amplified piano (1972-1973) are vintage works by George Crumb, composed during the highly productive period that yielded his mystical Songs, Drones and Refrains of Death; Ancient Voices of Children; and Black Angels -- an impressive output that had a tremendous influence on the experimental music of the 1970s. This 2004 recording of Crumb's 24 fantasy pieces on the Zodiac may seem a bit of a trip down memory lane, insofar as comparisons with the historic Nonesuch and Columbia Odyssey LPs are inevitable; and it is apparent now how widely Crumb's original techniques infiltrated the piano music of his contemporaries. To be fair, Margaret Leng Tan's recording for Mode should be heard with a clear head, apart from past recordings, and Crumb's music seems open to her fresh interpretation. Tan is fastidious in executing Crumb's ornately calligraphic scores, and presents the pieces' delicate effects -- on the keyboard and inside the piano -- with an appropriate otherworldly ambience. Her performance requires assistance from whistler and singer Alex Nowitz -- a compromise that may bother purists, but it was approved under the composer's supervision. While this fine recording is unlikely to supplant the superior originals by David Burge and Robert Miller, it is nonetheless an important addition to the catalog. Mode's sound quality is exceptional. ~ Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

Subject

Classical Music, Music & Performing Arts, 20th Century, Siglo XX, Século XX

Keywords and Translated Subjects

Siglo XX, Século XX