New Album Release - ACROSS DISTANCES
Seattle, WA, July 10, 2024: Present Sounds Recordings (presentsounds.com) is pleased to announce the release of a new album by Seattle composer Jarrad Powell (jarradpowell.com) entitled Across Distances. The new recording features the amazing piano virtuoso Adrienne Varner and seven new works for solo piano. The works feature several different tunings and temperaments, including 1⁄4-comma meantone temperament, Ptolemaic sequence, 7-limit just intonation, and equal temperament. The music is hypnotic and haunting, with slowly developing melodies and strange, magical harmonies.
Available from Present Sounds on Bandcamp
Also sources for download and streaming
TRACKLIST
1. Prelude for Adrienne Varner
2. Islands
3. Across Distances
4-7. Suite for Clavier
I. flowing and resonating
II. jhalla
III. soft and delicate
IV. canon
8. Within
9-10. Simultaneous Broken Symmetries
II. simultaneity of the ephemeral
I. metamorphosis of the repetitive
11. Uluru Wild Fig Song
NOTES
Prelude for Adrienne Varner (2009) - Dedicated to Adrienne in gratitude for her friendship and beautiful intuitive musicianship.
Islands (1981) - A long evolving melody is interrupted by only two chords, momentary islands, encircled by the melodic flow.
Across Distances (2021) - Dedicated to the memory of my son, Isaac Serr Powell.
Suite for Clavier (2013) - Dedicated to the memory of Lou Harrison. Aspects of the music somewhat reflect the Harrison aesthetic: use of modal writing, the appearance of certain non-western compositional devices
like jhalla. The piano also uses a 7-limit just tuning that Lou used for his suite for tack piano, Instrumental Music for Corneille’s “Cinna.”
Within (2022) - Dedicated to the poet Li-Young Lee whose work The Herald’s Wand and a conversation that we had somehow provided the impetus for this music.
Simultaneous Broken Symmetries (1990) - A duet for piano and vibraphone originally commissioned by Kit Young and Tom Goldstein. Special thanks to them. The term “broken symmetry” is borrowed from modern physics where it is used to describe the more abstract symmetries associated with elementary particles. Underlying symmetries can be revealed or their presence momentarily glimpsed through the relationship of their fragments or parts. Titles for the two movements are inspired by the work of the composer Bernard Parmegiani. Physically modeled vibraphone also played by Adrienne Varner.
Uluru Wild Fig Song (1986) - Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is the largest rock in the world. It rises 345 meters above the plain in Central Australia. The circumference of the base is about 9 km. This piece was inspired by Gary Snyder’s poem of the same name and is dedicated to him.
NOTES ON THE TUNINGS
Prelude for Adrienne Varner - The piano is tuned in 1⁄4-comma meantone temperament with the accidentals tuned to Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, F#.
Islands - The piano is tuned in standard 1⁄4-comma meantone temperament, but with the 1/1 centered on Db instead of the normal C, allowing for six flats.
Across Distances - The piano is tuned in what is called the Ptolemaic sequence, with successive intervals of 16/15, 9/8, 10/9 used to create two tetrachords separated by a whole step. This produces what some consider the standard 5-limit just intonation (all intervals based on whole number ratios derived from prime numbers 2, 3, and 5). It can be easily tuned using pure beat-free 3/2 perfect 5ths and 5/4 major 3rds.
Suite for Clavier - A 7-limit just tuning is used. The relative intervals are 1/1, 16/15, 7/6, 5/4, 4/3, 25/18, 3/2, 8/5, 5/3, 7/4, 15/8, 2/1.
Within - Another 7-limit just intonation. The relative intervals are 1/1, 16/15, 9/8, 7/6, 5/4, 4/3, 45/32, 3/2, 5/3, 8/5, 7/4, 15/8.
Simultaneous Broken Symmetries - The tuning is equal temperament. The piece makes motivic use of a tritone, and equal temperament contains a good geometric one that is neither an augmented 4th nor a diminished 5th.
Uluru Wild Fig Song - This piece utilizes only four pitches. The relative intervals are 1/1, 6/5, 4/3, 10/7.
All pieces can be played in a circulating temperament (like well-temperament or equal-temperament), but will lose intonational nuance in varying degrees.