Albright: The King of Instruments & Other Organ Works

Featuring

Tim Scott Whiteley
Bernhard Winkler
Angela Amodio
Roman Summereder
Karoline Pilcz
William Albright

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Composition History

Albright's 'In memoriam' (1983) was commissioned by Universal Edition and dedicated 'to the death of a friend,' extensively quoting and distorting themes from Act III of Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde.'

Compositional Technique

Albright's 'Pneuma' (1966) explores the organ avant-garde, creating an almost mystical sound tapestry with long chords and later developing into tension-rich sound clusters and extreme dynamic contrasts.

Composition History

Albright's 'The King of Instruments' (1978) was written for an organ dedication and features humorous, stylized Victorian verses by Anglicist and poet Eugene Haun.

Composer's Artistic Vision

William Albright summarized his musical aesthetic as "generous, eclectic, and maximal," preferring "messy diversity to boring unity" and enjoying "lively rhythm and ecstatic beauty."

Recording & Production

This album was recorded at two locations: the Heilig-Geist-Kirche in Missionshaus St. Gabriel, Maria Enzersdorf, and the Jesuitenkirche in Vienna.

Composer Biography

William Albright, an American composer, was a piano and organ virtuoso who toured extensively in America and Europe, known for both classical repertoire and ragtime music.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Albright, after exploring atonality, electronics, and graphic notation, later distanced himself from New Music and focused on four essential 'expressions': Aggressiveness, Sensuality, Humor, and Spirituality.