ECAE988F-F2E7-48E3-886E-FB87123F3AA4

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IDECAE988F-F2E7-48E3-886E-FB87123F3AA4
TitlecodeX151001
Title NameSonic Landscapes CD accomp.
Marketing CopyAccompaniment CD for Soprano Sax or Oboe. Solo parts available separately.
InstrumentationOboe, CD or Soprano Saxophone, CD
Commission(not set)
Dedication(not set)
Program NotesSonic Landscapes has four main sections of roughly equivalent length, with an unaccompanied cadenza and brief electronic music interlude linking the third section to the last. Though the sections flow from one to the next without pause, they are delineated by clear changes in character. Each main section is subtitled, all but the last with borrowed titles. These subtitles are not to be viewed as indispensable, nor as the only possible interpretations, since in each case the music came first. In other words, the subtitles represent my attempts to describe, after the act of composition, what images the music conjures up in my own mind.

Persistent Memories
The recorded accompaniment for the first section surrounds the soloist with a surreal sonic environment in which familiar sounds are stretched and distorted, without quite losing their sonic identity. Though it was not initially a deliberate attempt at representation, this section brings to my mind Salvador Dali’s famous painting, The Persistence of Memory with its bleak forlorn landscape and drooping watches.

Lost in the Funhouse
Since I’ve begun borrowing titles, I’ll borrow this one from American author John Barth. Again the composition was not intended to depict any particular storyline, but I find some intriguing connections to the images conjured up by the title. The section begins with the soloist in a hall of mirrors, accompanied by natural instrumental sounds. Soon, bent and warped images of these sounds begin to appear, as in a funhouse mirror. Eventually the humorous tone of the section’s opening gives way to melodrama, ending with references to the opening of the work. Listeners familiar with the pointillistic, post-Webern music of the late-1940s and 1950s may find other connections that can be made between title and music.

Close Encounters
The third section, while containing some references to the first, has gone beyond the surreal, becoming more “other worldly” in quality. The soloist is called upon to participate in creating this otherworldly landscape by playing various special effects rather than melodies.

The cadenza and interlude suggest no programmatic subtext and thus have no subtitles.

Rappin’ with Diz and Bird
The landscape here is decidedly urban. All references to various popular music influences are deliberate and intended.
Title Brand2
Year Composed1989
Copyright Number(not set)
Copyright Year(not set)
Duration12
Ensemble Size1
Date Created2008-10-31 20:31:52.000000
Date Updated2025-09-30 20:31:52
Inhouse Note(not set)
Bsc Code(not set)
Text Author(not set)
Premier Performance Memo(not set)
Recording CreditsRecorded by Stephen Caplan, A Tree In Your Ear, Musicians Showcase CD MS1014.
Review(not set)
Awards(not set)
Title Category13
Title MovementsPersistence of Memory [2:48]
Lost in the Fun House [2:13]
Close Encounters [3:38]
pause [0:15]
Interlude [0:35]
Rappin’ with Diz and Bird [2:51]
Title Grade(not set)
Set Series ID(not set)
Title Instrument Category TextSoprano Saxophone
Title Sub Category Text(not set)
Title Sub Category98
Title Instrument Header96
Title Grade Text(not set)
Clean Urlsonic-landscapes-cd-accomp-x151001