A Hard Rain

Featuring

Steven Schick
Shahrokh Yadegari
John Cage
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Morton Feldman
Charles Wuorinen

Helmut Lachenmann
William Hibbard
Kurt Schwitters

Did you know?

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Interpretation

Steven Schick, the percussionist, used the Renaissance technique of soggetto cavato, translating initials into pitches, to embed names of loved ones and friends into his performance of The King of Denmark.

Interpretation

During the pandemic lockdown, Steven Schick, the percussionist, found himself missing the rituals of the practice room more than the excitement of the stage.

Performer Biography

Steven Schick, the percussionist on this album, grew up in a farming family where rain was a central concern, influencing his earliest memories and deepest fears.

Interpretation

Steven Schick's interpretation of Morton Feldman's The King of Denmark incorporates quotations from Feldman's later works, Rothko Chapel and For Philip Guston, threading them into the piece.

Recording & Production

This album, "Weather Systems I: A Hard Rain," is the first installment in a multi-part series of recordings by percussionist Steven Schick, planned to span his 60s, 70s, and possibly 80s.

Album & Artwork

This album is dedicated to John Luther Adams, a long-time friend of the percussionist Steven Schick, and in memory of naturalist and author Barry Lopez.

Compositional Technique

Morton Feldman's The King of Denmark, a central work on this recording, challenges the performer to choose instruments for a score that provides few guidelines, indicating notes only by the number of attacks per beat and register.