b. 1946 || Website
Marilyn Shrude currently teaches composition at Bowling Green State University. She is an active Pianist, Teacher, Composer, and promoter of new music serving as founder and director of Mid-American Center for Contemporary Art Music, along with representing BGSU as department chair from 1998-2011. Her music has been described as both powerful and fragile at the same time and she is known for creating color and a sense of spirituality with her work.
Caritas is a piece written for alto saxophone and piano. It is a lovely piece that starts with a quiet conversation between the two instruments. Her use of dynamics not only in the individual lines but as conversation tension is brilliant. The tempo is perfect and makes me lean forward and listen for every single note. Her use of extended techniques and range for both instruments is wild yet perfectly restrained.
Caritas
Renewing the Myth is another piece written for saxophone and piano from her early works in the 1980’s. In this piece she exemplifies her clever sense of counterpoint between the two instruments by giving the parts similar lines and off setting the instruments to “trade” the melody off between the two. Of course each instrument also gets to have its time to shine, and she positions these moments perfectly within the piece. She also brilliantly moves between jarring rhythmic structures and beautiful melodic lines so seamlessly. This piece really displays what she is capable of as a composer in such an effortless way.
Renewing the Myth
A Virtual Reality is a wild piece written in 2003 for orchestra. At thirteen minutes in length, it’s a great piece that packs no small punches in the way of rhythm, harmony, or melody. It seems like every minute takes you to a new place, perfectly fulfilling her title “A Virtual Reality”. She “pulls” and “pushes” the ensemble all together at the beginning reminding me a bit of swarms of insects flying in random, yet deliberate directions. Near the five minute mark, she gives the oboe a solo that really floats above the orchestra. Little by little, more woodwinds join in and create a sense of unity and community not yet heard. The “message” continues to get passed from section to section until we're left facing the new “reality” that enters around 7:40. Her use of instrumentation in this section while smart, is short-lived because the full orchestra enters again and gives way to the soundscape much like what we hear at the beginning of the piece.
A Virtual Reality
Marilyn Shrude is one of America’s top composers and these pieces barely scratch the surface of her massive portfolio. Her music is bright, witty, beautiful, and tenacious. To follow her career or listen to her music, please visit her Website.
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I do not own any of the videos or music in this blog posts or in any of the other posts that you may find in this blog.
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