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Rational Passions
Greg Bowers composer
Karolina Rojahn piano; Keun Young Sun piano
The Boston String Quartet | Christopher Vuk violin
Angel Valchinov violin; Chen Lin viola, Christina Stripling cello
RATIONAL PASSIONS, Greg Bowers’ debut release on Navona Records, takes its listeners on a trip through the psychological world of music. Each piece explores the relationship between the notes played and the emotions experienced, suggesting that emotional meaning can be rationalized. Gestalt Figures uses grouping laws to show how the listener will approximate the piece as a whole by the connections between its parts, suggesting the true function of the composer and listener. String Quartet No. 2: By-Products of Mass Media depicts three movements in pop culture: the intense experience of rave music, the erratic nature of channel surfing, and the accessible convenience of online surfing. In Perception Etudes, Bowers examines the musical experience as a whole and how each element – the audience, the performer, the musical tension and dynamics – is internalized, understood, and communicated. Eurydice Returns is a short psychological examination of the confused, rejected lover in the Orpheus myth. By means of string quartet, piano, and electronics, RATIONAL PASSIONS puts forth a cerebral approach to the listening experience, rationalizing the theoretical and emotional facets of music.
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Artist Information
Greg Bowers
Greg Bowers is active as a composer, performer, and director in a variety of genres. He is currently Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition at the College of William and Mary. His creative work includes concert music, musical theater, multimedia, and performance art and he is currently pursuing research in film music cognition and other forms of interdisciplinary art.
Karolina Rojahn
Karolina Rojahn is a Los Angeles based pianist who has dedicated the last decade of her career to premiering and recording contemporary music repertoire. She has premiered over a hundred new works and collaborated with various classical music labels, most notably Naxos, having released over 43 recordings of chamber and solo piano music, including 5 piano concertos written specifically for her.
