John Pickard: The Flight of Icarus; The Spindle of Necessity; Channel Firing (2008)

The music of British composer John Pickard (born 1963) is notable for the brilliance of its orchestration and its unflagging inventiveness. He writes in a freely tonal idiom that gives his works an immediate accessibility, and the three pieces here are idiomatically related, but have strongly differentiated characters. The Flight of Icarus, while not specifically programmatic, is based on the imagery of Icarus' and his father Daedalus' escape from Crete, their flight over the sea on wings made of wax and feathers, and ... Read More

The music of British composer John Pickard (born 1963) is notable for the brilliance of its orchestration and its unflagging inventiveness. He writes in a freely tonal idiom that gives his works an immediate accessibility, and the three pieces here are idiomatically related, but have strongly differentiated characters. The Flight of Icarus, while not specifically programmatic, is based on the imagery of Icarus' and his father Daedalus' escape from Crete, their flight over the sea on wings made of wax and feathers, and Icarus' fall to death after he flew too close to the sun. The story provides a dramatic narrative framework and the opportunity to write soaring, ecstatic music depicting flight; it's a wonder, in fact, that not more composers have turned to this myth for inspiration. Pickard's work has a relentless energy that's partly generated by the work's rhythmic drive and partly by the profligacy of its motivic ideas, which keep tumbling out in reckless profusion. Pickard's use of percussion is... Read Less

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2008, BIS UPC: 675754005443 SACD See All

2008, BIS UPC: 7318590015780 SACD See All