Dissolving Images on iTunes

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Mark

My album “Dissolving Images” is now available on iTunes in the US:
itunes

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Garam Masala

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Mark

Before I begin my composing for the day I have to make a new batch of Garam Masala, here cooling prior to grinding.

Garam Masala

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Quote of the Day

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Mark

“You move in a logical circle and I am out of it.” -D.T. Suzuki

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Probing the Mysteries of the Harp

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Mark

The orchestral harp with all of the those pedals to understand. The instrument, from a composer’s perspective, has a steeper learning curve than many instruments. However, in addition to working with a harpist, I recommend the site “Harp Spectrum—Exploring the World of the Harp” where there is a helpful essay titled “Composing for the Harp” by Joyce Rice.

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Dissolving Images Is Available Today

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Mark

di_cd_200“Dissolving Images” is available today
on Albany Records’ website as a CD or digital download and any of your favorite music locations.

I would like to thank Susan Bush at #Albany Records, David Merrill who recorded, edited and mastered the album, the Fromm Foundation, #AaronCopland and Alice M.Ditson Funds for their generous financial support, my wife Pamela Gurman for designing a great looking album and all the masterful musicians on the album: Lisa Moore, Ed Gilmore, Susan Polifrone, Theresa Fream, Keith Conant, Kim Scholes, Margaret Lancaster, Vasko Dukovski, James Rogers, Stephen Gosling, Esther Noh, John Popham, Richard Carrick, Keith Underwod, Alan R. Kay, Christopher Oldfather, James Preiss, Cyrus Stevens, Christpher Finckel and Anthony Korf.

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Excerpt from Turning Premiere

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Mark

turning_symphony_spaceBack in November Stony Brook Contemporary Chamber Players premiered Turning at #StonyBrook University and #SymphonySpace. Here is an excerpt from Symphony Space:
[sc_embed_player volume=”75″ fileurl=”https://www.markgustavson.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Turning-excerpt.mp3″]
Turning deconstructs  “The Cage,” a brief song by #CharlesIves, into a cyclical tour de force for bass clarinet, percussion, piano and double bass.

It’s not just the musical materials of the song I use (whole-tone scales, chords built on fourths) but the idea of the piece comes from the boy in the song observing the pacing leopard: “A boy who had been there three hours began to wonder, ‘Is life anything like that?'”

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Release of New Album Dissolving Images

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Mark

My album Dissolving Images will be released worldwide on July 1st on Albany Records, CD (Troy1424) and digital download. It is an album of chamber music including Dissolving Images for piano solo; Jag for mix chamber ensemble, Quintet for clarinet, two violins, viola & cello, Trickster for clarinet solo; and A Fool’s Journey for mixed chamber ensemble. There are great performers including Lisa Moore, Ed Gilmore, Either/Or, Contempo and Parnassus.

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Chinary Ung will be 70 at Le Poisson Rouge

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Mark

New York New Music Ensemble will perform Chinary’s music at Le Poisson Rouge on April 16th.

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I had some down time

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Mark

so I made this midi version of The Emperor’s Music a piece I composed in 1999 and was premiered in 2000 by the Brooklyn Symphony. It was a poor performance because it was under rehearsed. It is an antiphonal piece for 12 solo brass arranged in four trios (trp I, hrn I, trb I; trp II, hrnII, trb II; trp III, hrn III, bass trb; trp IV, hrn IV, tuba) across the stage and well separated.

The Emperor’s Music

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Is this what it’s come to?

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Mark

Image

Are we just bug splats on a windshield? But go ahead, scan me while I’m down.

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