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Ekkozone

Reynolds: The Promises of Darkness

$18.99

Details

Composer
Roger Reynolds
Artist
Various
Format
CD
Label
Ekkozone
Released
Mar 07, 2025
Catalog #
Ekkozone05
UPC
809730000522

About

The Promises of Darkness marks the next chapter in the visionary collaboration between Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Roger Reynolds and conductor/producer Mathias Reumert. Released by Ekkozone, this landmark album showcases world premiere recordings of four major works, tracing four decades of Reynolds's trailblazing contributions to contemporary music. The title work, The Promises of Darkness (1975), pays homage to Reynolds's mentor Roberto Gerhardt. Scored for an ensemble of 11 players, this piece masterfully conjures vivid colors and an almost cinematic sense of dread, revealing Reynolds as a composer unafraid to probe the edges of musical and emotional experience. From 1985 comes Mistral, for strings, brass, and amplified harpsichord. Although inspired by an encounter with the forceful Mediterranean wind, the piece is "neither illustrative nor programmatic," according to the composer. Mistral has previously been released in a lo-fi live recording, but the highly refined score - with it's crystalline articulate harpsichord - is finally brought to life in this new version, which Reynolds himself has hailed as "a triumph." A relentless exploration of the interplay between two harmonic strata, Dionysus (1990) involves "a blend of metaphor and pragmatics" and is captured in a breathtakingly precise performance, with expressive solos from flutist Helene Navasse and trumpeter Laszlo Molnar. Closing the album is the electroacoustic Positings (2013), where the Mathias Reumert Group is joined by computer musician and Reynolds collaborator Paul Hembree. Seamlessly blending live performance with electronic textures, Positings embodies Reynolds's innovative spirit, pushing the boundaries of sound and structure. This release follows the critically acclaimed Wind Concertos, the first in the Reynolds/Reumert series, which earned Album of the Year (The Five Best) from the Danish Broadcasting Corporation in 2024. With The Promises of Darkness, Ekkozone solidifies it's reputation as a home for groundbreaking contemporary music, curated with Reumert's exacting vision.

Tracklist 16 tracks

  1. 1 Section 1 08:10
    Track
    1
    Title
    Section 1
    Duration
    08:10
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  2. 2 Section 2 02:55
    Track
    2
    Title
    Section 2
    Duration
    02:55
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  3. 3 Section 3 07:04
    Track
    3
    Title
    Section 3
    Duration
    07:04
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  4. 4 Section 4 04:22
    Track
    4
    Title
    Section 4
    Duration
    04:22
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  5. 5 Mistral 20:15
    Track
    5
    Title
    Mistral
    Duration
    20:15
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  6. 6 Dionysus 15:55
    Track
    6
    Title
    Dionysus
    Duration
    15:55
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  7. 7 Posit 1 01:10
    Track
    7
    Title
    Posit 1
    Duration
    01:10
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  8. 8 Response 1 02:17
    Track
    8
    Title
    Response 1
    Duration
    02:17
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  9. 9 Posit 2 01:11
    Track
    9
    Title
    Posit 2
    Duration
    01:11
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  10. 10 Response 3 01:52
    Track
    10
    Title
    Response 3
    Duration
    01:52
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  11. 11 Posit 3 02:10
    Track
    11
    Title
    Posit 3
    Duration
    02:10
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  12. 12 Response 5 02:48
    Track
    12
    Title
    Response 5
    Duration
    02:48
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  13. 13 Posit 4 00:44
    Track
    13
    Title
    Posit 4
    Duration
    00:44
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  14. 14 Response 2 02:57
    Track
    14
    Title
    Response 2
    Duration
    02:57
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  15. 15 Posit 5 02:39
    Track
    15
    Title
    Posit 5
    Duration
    02:39
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert
  16. 16 Response 4 05:25
    Track
    16
    Title
    Response 4
    Duration
    05:25
    Composer
    Roger Reynolds
    Ensemble
    Mathias Reumert Group
    Conductor
    Mathias Reumert