Lepton

The recordings on this CD bridge a period from the late 1960s through the late 1990s. Each is an interesting waystation in Wuorinen's long and productive career. 'Time's Encomium' has long been available in other collections. While it may have been remastered for this CD, it differs little from previous recordings--after all, it's the same recording. It's a good piece, albeit in a style that has not been much emulated by later composers.'New York Notes' follows chronologically and features a live ensemble along with a computer-generated tape. While 'Encomium' made use of late-generation analog synthesis, 'Notes' is early-generation digital. The sounds are less rich and natural, and the listener is happier in the moments that feature natural instruments alone. That quibble aside, it's a good piece--dynamic in the outer sections and lovely in the center. 'Epithalamium' is a duet for trumpets, moving back and forth between muted and unmuted. It's the sort of piece that one is likely to hear only at university concerts. Nonetheless, the single-voiced instruments lay out a clear harmony, moving from quiet contemplation to high activity.To my ear, 'Lepton' (1998) is the most interesting piece. For piano, harp and celesta, it inhabits a sound-world that is reminiscent of Andrew Imbrie. It's a good bridge into the more dense world of later Wuorinen, and it's a quite likeable bit of music. Overall, this is not the strongest possible sampling of Wuorinen's work. But it's still nice.

Of the six Wuorinen CDs I own, this may be my favorite. The title piece is charming, but "New York Notes" is a marvel of dense musical textures and surprises. I don't know whether Wuorinen intended this as a paen to the city, but it's easy to see it as the late 20th c. equal of "Rhapsody in Blue," with its own energy and busy, celebratory sound. I can't imagine ever growing tired of it.As a non-musician, I haven't a clue what guides and shapes Wuorinen's music--it's supposedly based on Schoenberg's 12-tone system but is infinitely more enjoyable to my ear, at least. Finally I have to trust my own impressions of its inventiveness, its sense of stucture, its delight in sound and sound combinations. If you're tired of the latter-day sturm und drang that comes so easily to European composers, try the cool delights of Wuorinen. And if you're looking for the best Wuorinen, consider this CD.