BIRDS & INSECTS: ARLENE SIERRA, VOL. 4
BRIDGE 9599
Much of Arlene Sierra’s compositional output centers on the natural world, addressing the subjects of landscape, evolutionary biology, and the sounds, processes and behavior of birds and insects. Arranged into three books, Sierra's Birds and Insects comprises 15 movements composed across a twenty-year period. The three books are performed brilliantly here by pianists Steven Beck (Books 1 and 2) and Sarah Cahill (Book 3). The album is the fourth in Bridge's ongoing Arlene Sierra series.
Reviews:
"The composer Arlene Sierra has devoted several works to the musical representation of birds, and in this she is hardly alone; such pieces date back to the medieval era, not to mention similar concepts in other musical cultures. Insects may be a bit less common, but here, too, she has predecessors. With this release, the fourth in a series by the Bridge label devoted to this rising American British composer, listeners can hear an entire series of bird and insect works and can focus closely on what Sierra does. The animals depicted in each piece would be pretty identifiable even for a listener without the guidance of composer or track list, and indeed, it would be interesting to play the album for bird and insect enthusiasts. Sample the "Cicada Sketch" and its successor on the program, "Titmouse." Mostly, Sierra relies on the resources of the piano alone, but there are some samples and backgrounds (hear the magical "Tawny Owls"). What is most intriguing is Sierra's language, which by its nature refers to the long tradition of nature in music, yet avoids any sense of neoclassic reference. Even Messiaen, one of Sierra's more recent predecessors in this regard, feels quite different from the music here. Instead, she takes her bird songs and insect sounds and uses them as structural bases for the individual pieces. Most of these are quite compact, and a bit of sampling will prepare the listener for the three longer pieces, "Scarab," "Bobolink," and "Troupial." Two pianists, Steven Beck and Sarah Cahill, are involved; they both give sharply defined performances, and it would be hard to distinguish the contributions of the two on style alone. This is rigorously modern music that is directly appealing, something that is no small accomplishment." — AllMusic (James Manheim)
BRIDGE 9599