Harrison: Violin Concerto, Grand Duo & Double Music

Featuring

Angel Gil-Ordóñez
Tim Fain
Michael Boriskin
PostClassical Ensemble
Lou Harrison

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Performer Biography

Tim Fain, the violinist on this album, was featured on the GRAMMY®-nominated soundtrack of 'Black Swan' and gave 'voice' to the lead actor's violin in '12 Years a Slave'.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Lou Harrison's 'Grand Duo' for violin and piano is a notable example of gamelan-infused chamber music, with its steady, gamelan-like course and piano sounds evoking gamelan instruments.

Recording & Production

This recording was supported by grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Art Mentor Lucerne, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Vicken Poochikian and Irene Roth.

Composer Biography

Lou Harrison, born in Portland, Oregon, mainly lived in northern California and later settled in rural Aptos, near Santa Cruz, after finding Manhattan's noise disagreeable.

Composition History

Lou Harrison and John Cage collaborated on 'Double Music,' with each composer writing parts for two of the four players, agreeing on rhythmic figures but composing separately without changing a note.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Lou Harrison's music is an original product of his wide-ranging cultural explorations, including Chinese opera, Indonesian gamelan, Esperanto, and sign language.

Compositional Technique

Lou Harrison's Concerto for Violin and Percussion Orchestra uses precise instructions for percussion instruments, including washtubs and coffee cans, integrating their sounds so well that they don't seem exotic.