Composer Emily Howard writes music informed by abstract structures derived from mathematics and science, and then applies it to concrete, real-world phenomena. The compositions on this NMC-label release are thus classifiable as program music, and they work well as such for those willing to invest a bit of booklet time in order to figure out what's going on. An interesting feature of Howard's music is the persistence of its basic characteristics across pieces that are broadly tonal (the title work) and those much less so. ...
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Composer Emily Howard writes music informed by abstract structures derived from mathematics and science, and then applies it to concrete, real-world phenomena. The compositions on this NMC-label release are thus classifiable as program music, and they work well as such for those willing to invest a bit of booklet time in order to figure out what's going on. An interesting feature of Howard's music is the persistence of its basic characteristics across pieces that are broadly tonal (the title work) and those much less so. Each work is based on a specific image reflecting the scientific process that it embodies. You might sample Mesmerism, a little piano concerto in which the piano gradually brings the orchestra into its thrall despite increasingly agitated attempts to resist. The designation of "scapegoat" as the accompanying ensemble for Leviathan is a bit confusing; it is the name of the ensemble that performs the work, consisting of baritone saxophone and percussion. This work is a structural tour de...
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