Lou Harrison
The Perilous Chapel
NA055

David Tanenbaum, guitar; William Winant, percussion, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players; John Duykers, tenor

Harrison has pursued his iconoclastic vision since the '40s, evolving a colorful, almost mystical vocabulary that melds the unorthodox textures of Henry Cowell and early John Cage with a love of repetition and clean diatonicism that foreshadowed minimalists Steve Reich and Philip Glass.

--Guitar Player

Please note: in the spring of 2003 this title was discontinued when the guitar works were reissued with additional music on Lou Harrison's "Serenado" [NA123]

In the late thirties of this century and the early forties I was, as have been many Californians, enamored of Mexico. At about this time a small book of reproductions from Mexican codices, all in color, came into my possession, and I immediately wanted to do something about the life of the culture-hero Quetzalcoatl which was there depicted. It was also a period in which one or two films were made in which the camera explored a painting in detail with musical accompaniment. Thus I immediately thought of such a thing in connection with the Mexican codices. I did not have any access to film at the time, but went ahead enthusiastically to the composition of a score. This must have been a hint to Eric Marin a few years ago, for in the excellent film about me and Bill, "Cherish, Conserve, Consider, Create", he made a passage in which part of the score is used with still photos of Mexican architecture and people. I still think that a complete film could be made based on my original idea, but in any event the score, which is played with fair frequency, I like to think reminds audiences of the extraordinary and often very beautiful civilization of Mexico and its pre-Columbian history. We first performed the work in San Francisco, and I believe that that was in the concert that John Cage and I gave in the California Hall - the concert which was concluded by the "Double Music" which he and I composed together and which resulted in the first public recording of one of my works for percussion ensemble.

--Lou Harrison

Track List

Harp Suite
1. Serenade for Frank Wigglesworth 1:50
2. Avalokiteshvara 2:16
3. From Music for Bill & Me 3:33
4. Jhala 2:00
5. Sonata in Ishartum 1:32
6. Beverly's Troubadour Piece 1:24
7. A Waltz for Evelyn Hinrichsen 2:05

Serenade for Guitar and Percussion
8. Round 1:40
9. Air 3:06
10. Infinite Canon 1:30
11. Usul 2:43
12. Sonata 2:00

Perilous Chapel
13. Prelude: andante - Poco maestoso 4:06
14. Barbaro - Brilliante - Energico 4:48
15. Alleluia: Poco adagio 4:15

16. Fugue for Percussion 3:48
17. Song of Quetzelcoatl 6:30
18. May Rain 3:05

Total: 54:04

$15.00

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