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Inviting Worlds Vol 2

New Works For Large Ensemble

Lawrence Mumford composer
Dinah Bianchi composer
Bruce Reiprich composer
William Copper composer
Debra Kaye composer
Richard E Brown composer

Release Date: August 12, 2022
Catalog #: NV6445
Format: Digital
21st Century
Orchestral
Large Ensemble
Orchestra

Hot on the heels of its first edition, INVITING WORLDS VOL 2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor with the rhythmic dexterity and textural nuance of today’s orchestras paired with a new roster of composers. New sounds and expressions burst with emotion and uplift us through dark days, navigating uncertainty and delivering us to tranquil resolution. From the frenetic energy and hair raising harmony of Chasse Noir to the soothing solemnity of When Quiet Comes, INVITING WORLDS VOL 2 delivers a colorful palette of orchestral virtuosity sure to please any listener who lends an ear.

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Track Listing & Credits

# Title Composer Performer
01 Hope and a Future Lawrence Mumford Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Jan Kučera, conductor 6:58
02 Chasse Noir Dinah Bianchi Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Jan Kučera, conductor 6:00
03 When Quiet Comes Bruce Reiprich Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor; Lucie Kaucka, piano 6:59
04 Gold Lights in Blue William Copper Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Jiří Petrdlík, conductor 4:37
05 Rising Up Debra Kaye Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Jan Kučera, conductor 11:11
06 Paisano Suite: I. Prelude Richard E Brown Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor 1:52
07 Paisano Suite: II. Scherzo Richard E Brown Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor 1:42
08 Paisano Suite: III. Berceuse Richard E Brown Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor 2:56
09 Paisano Suite: IV. Fugue Richard E Brown Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor 2:03
10 Paisano Suite: V. Pastorale Richard E Brown Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor 2:46
11 Paisano Suite: VI. Caprice Richard E Brown Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor 2:00
12 Paisano Suite: VII. Romanza Richard E Brown Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor 4:18
13 Paisano Suite: VIII. Finale Richard E Brown Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor 2:24

Recorded October 25-27, November 19, December 6-8, 2021 at Dům Kultury města Ostravy (The Ostrava House of Culture) in Ostrava, Czech Republic

Hope and a Future, Chasse Noir, Rising Up
Producer Markéta Janáčková
Engineer Aleš Dvořák
Editing & Mixing Melanie Montgomery

When Quiet Comes
Producer Jan Košulič
Engineer Aleš Dvořák
Editing & Mixing Jan Košulič
Additional Editing Melanie Montgomery

Gold Lights in Blue, Paisano Suite
Producer Jan Košulič
Engineer Aleš Dvořák
Editing & Mixing Melanie Montgomery

The recording of When Quiet Comes was funded by a Northern Arizona University, College of Arts and Letters, Kitt School of Music Charles H. and Donna M. Aurand Music Faculty Development Award, and the Kitt School of Music Fund for Musical Excellence.

Executive Producer Bob Lord

A&R Director Brandon MacNeil
A&R Laura Ramsey, Danielle Lewis, Quinton Blue

VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
Production Director Levi Brown
Production Manager Jean Noël Attard
Production Assistant Martina Watzková
Mastering Melanie Montgomery

VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming, Morgan Hauber
Publicity Patrick Niland, Brett Iannucci

Artist Information

Lawrence Mumford

Lawrence Mumford

Composer

Lawrence Mumford's music, published by eight different companies, has premiered in cities across the country. Movements from his Symphony No. 4 have recently become a part of  the broadcast libraries of the largest classical radio stations in Boston, Washington DC,  Cleveland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other cities, and have been played repeatedly — even  being included in two stations’ “Ultimate Playlist.” This music is also available on major streaming services including Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. 

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Dinah Bianchi

Composer

Award-winning Michigan composer Dinah Bianchi creates vibrant and exciting music; music that is sublime, beautiful, and full of the communicative power of art. She is well versed in a variety of musical genres with a portfolio that includes music for orchestra, concert band, string ensemble, chamber ensemble, solo works, and electronic music. Well received both nationally and internationally, Bianchi’s music has been performed in concert halls in Europe, Asia, Canada, and the United States. Recently, she completed a recording session for Chasse Noir with the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava in the Czech Republic. The recording was released in August of 2022 and is anticipating an album release with PARMA in the Spring of 2024.

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Bruce Reiprich

Composer

Bruce Reiprich's music has been described as having "unapologetic lushness" (New Music Box), "post-romantic radiance" (Danbury News-Times), and "a contemplative mood, its sedate pace subtly dilating the flow of time" (Eagle Rock Patch). It has also been characterized as "a deeply personal mediation on the poet's feelings" (San Francisco Classical Voice), "very powerful" (All Music Guide), "lovely and evocative" (Guitar Review-New York), "very impressive" (Cumhuriyet-Turkey), and "of special interest" (Guitar International-England). Praise for the Navona Records recording of his Lullaby for violin and orchestra highlights “what would make for a really gorgeous encore number” (Cinemusical), and “emotional effects so powerfully instantiated” (Textura).

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William Copper

William Copper

Composer

William Copper is an American composer of contemporary classical music, a theorist, and the authority on Intonalism, the science of structuring music according to intonation. His music is praised for its beauty, structural integrity, and innovative originality. He has been a life-long supporter and volunteer as Board Member and officer for music and cultural organizations.

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Debra Kaye

Composer

“A new voice on our horizon is felt and heard with [composer] Debra Kaye” (Classical Modern Music Review). Her visceral music has been described as “an eclectic unfolding of creativity” (Gramophone), it ranges from lyrical to grooving, experimental to coloristic but above all, expressive and deeply felt. Kaye is a hybrid and her music reflects it. Born in Motown, currently living in New York City, she moved to Atlanta at an early age. Her life and music reflect a desire to feel, understand, and to integrate opposites.

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Richard E Brown

Richard E Brown

Composer

Richard E. Brown, a native of New York State and has been active as a composer-arranger and music educator for many years. His training includes M.M. and D.M. degrees in composition from Florida State University, as well as a B.A. in music education from Central College, which named him a Distinguished Alumnus in 1983. His principal composition studies were with Carlisle Floyd, John Boda, and Charles Carter. He is a member of ASCAP and is represented in the catalogs of several trade publishers, as well as his personal imprint Dacker Music.

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Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava

Orchestra

The Janáček Philharmonic is a world-class symphony orchestra based in Ostrava, Czech Republic and an emerging figure on the international performance scene. With over 100 top-level musicians, the orchestra aims to introduce unique, quality repertoire while showcasing their own recognizable sound.

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Jan Kučera

Conductor

The conductor, composer, and pianist Jan Kučera is one of the most versatile Czech artists. At the National Theatre in Prague, he has conducted the productions of Lukáš Hurník’s opera The Angels, Shostakovich’s Antiformalist Rayok / Orango, Rossini´s La Cenerentola, and of his own comic opera Red Mary.

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Stanislav Vavřínek

Conductor

Stanislav Vavřínek is one of the most prominent Czech conductors and has been Chief Conductor of the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice since 2018. Having graduated from the Conservatory in Brno where he studied flute and conducting, he continued his education at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Subsequently, he also took master classes with Roberto Benzi in Switzerland, culminating with a concert in which he conducted the Biel Philharmonic Orchestra.

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Jiří Petrdlík

Conductor

Jiří Petrdlík (b. 1977) is appreciated as one of the most respectable conductors of his generation. He studied piano, trombone, and conducting — 1995–2000 at Prague Conservatory, and 2000–2005 at Academy of Performing Arts Prague — with Hynek Farkač, Miroslav Košler, Miriam Němcová, Radomil Eliška, and Tomáš Koutník, and took part in the masterclasses of the New York Philharmonic Principal Conductor Kurt Masur and the BBC Philharmonic Principal Conductor Jiří Bělohlávek. Petrdlík also successfully took part in several competitions, including the Donatella Flick Conductor Competition in London.

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Lucie Kaucká

Pianist

The pianist Lucie Kaucká was born on March 31, 1978 in Kraslice near Karlovy Vary, where she began studying music at the age of seven. She continued her piano studies at the Conservatory of Teplice and the Conservatory of Pardubice with Martin Hröel. After graduation from Pardubice she concentrated on the study of musicology at the Palacky University in Olomouc and finished successfully there in 2003.

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Notes

Hope and a Future may be performed as an independent concert piece, or as a movement of the composer’s Symphony No. 4. The tempo is rapid and the mood is optimistic as the players race toward a better condition; they can see “the light at the end of the tunnel.” The piece was conceived and written entirely during the Coronavirus pandemic, and simply creating it helped stave off feelings of despondency and despair.

Formally the piece is a modified seven-part rondo, but the standard design has been reversed so that the episodes — rather than the refrains — carry the principal thematic material. Instrumentation is straightforward, although the violins are divided into three staves, and a tenor drum is required in addition to standard percussion.

This is the second piece of mine recorded by the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra, and I want to express my appreciation for their skill and interpretive depth.

— Lawrence Mumford

Written for full orchestra, the music of Chasse Noir harkens back to the classic sounds of Film Noir. This music was born out of Dinah Bianchi’s desire to create a dramatic work full of frenetic energy reminiscent of Hollywood’s gripping “cinematic” chase scenes. After recently composing a series of more intimate works, Bianchi wanted to return to the kind of music that drives her passion: unapologetically brash music written for the symphonic orchestra. As a professional hornist, she most enjoys large-scale, energetic, symphonic works that make the most of the orchestra’s vast palette of colors and where every instrument has something to contribute.

Formally, Chasse Noir may be broadly viewed as a theme and variations. The opening introduction, the main theme, and its closing content are continually varied as the protagonist runs through a gauntlet of distorted musical ideas. Strings provide momentum with ostinato-like passages, while the woodwinds answer the menacing brass with quick frantic passages to create a sense of breathless pursuit. Trumpet calls provide transitions to harrowing new variants in this musical game of “cat and mouse.”

Each variant provides cohesiveness through the repetition of easily recognizable themes and motives thus enabling the listener to easily follow the chase while at the same time providing the necessary variety to hold interest until its final denouement. Though the work makes use of the full orchestra, the percussion section is kept to a minimum, assuring their presence is ultimately impactful.

– Maestro Douglas Bianchi

When Quiet Comes is dedicated to the memory of my brother, Paul, who died of cancer in 2019. It is my hope that its simplicity and restraint, embraced by lush harmonies in a “cinematic” language will encourage reflection and introspection. The score contains the following poem, based on the Japanese tanka form that I wrote as an introduction to the music.

Evening cool
crickets chirping
through the pines
the moon drifts
while memories linger.

When Quiet Comes received its initial performances in March 2021 with Paul Hostetter conducting the Schwob Philharmonic, and with Emma Stubb conducting the Northern Arizona University Chamber Orchestra.

The recording of When Quiet Comes was funded by Northern Arizona University, College of Arts and Letters, Kitt School of Music Charles H. and Donna M. Aurand Music Faculty Development Award, and the Kitt School of Music Fund for Musical Excellence. When Quiet Comes is published by American Composers Alliance Inc. Score and parts are available at www.composers.com.

— Bruce Reiprich

Gold Lights in Blue describes a visual image — it is the evening sky; it is the Euro Union flag; it is Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. The Blue Field is a placid pre-baroque tapestry of sound, while the Gold Lights explode with passion. The music is written in a rigorous form of just intonation, called Intonalism, created by William Copper. Every interval, melodic or harmonic, is perfectly tuneable, and easily hearable by the musicians who play the piece.

With the string orchestra piece Rising Up I hope to evoke the emotional and spiritual experience of picking yourself up from the darkest place to a feeling of joy. I wrote this 11-minute, one movement work in 2020. Given the pandemic and the uncertainties of the upcoming U.S. election, composing Rising Up gave me an outlet for engaging the tensions of the time and asserting a feeling of hope.

I’d been reading The Brothers Karamazov at the time and took inspiration from Dostoevsky’s words: “…we shall be in chains and there will be no freedom, but then, in our great sorrow, we shall rise again to joy…”

With a nod to Bach, I embedded the word “vote” into the musical structure at cadence points throughout the piece. How is this done? Repeat the 7 letter musical alphabet across our 26 letter alphabet, “V”=“A”, “O”=“A”, “T”=“F”, and then there’s “E.” Fortuitously, these tones happen to work well together.

— Debra Kaye

“Paisano is the name of a ranch, located in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin, once the private retreat of Texas folklorist and writer J. Frank Dobie. Now owned by the University of Texas, the ranch has for many years been used as a residence for recipients of the prized Dobie Paisano Fellowship, awarded twice annually to promising Texas writers.” (quoted from the preface to the score)

In the summer of 1982, I had two lucky breaks come my way. First, I received a commission from Austin Ballet Theater to compose the score for a new ballet. They had produced an earlier ballet of mine the year before and were eager for another one. The second break was that, as the spouse of a Dobie Fellowship winning writer, I got to live at the ranch for six months, during which time I completed the entire score. It was a magical location to work in, and I will never forget the experience.

Since the Dobie Fellowship is not open to composers, and winners of it are not likely to come to the ranch with a composer-spouse in tow, this is quite probably the only musical score ever to be composed there.

The music was originally scored for a small pit orchestra, and it was only in 2012 that I shortened and re-orchestrated it to create this suite for full orchestra. Since the original title — Ballabile — is a term used specifically for dance music, and the new version of the work is meant to be a concert suite rather than a ballet, I also re-titled it after the Paisano Ranch, where it was originally composed and which served as its inspiration.

The entire 20-minute suite is actually based on a fairly modest amount of musical material and the eight short movements are thematically all very closely related. The overall framework is highly unified in that way.

— Richard E brown

Scores

Chasse Noir (excerpt)

Dinah Bianchi

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