Music of Dan Asia
Dan Asia (electronics), Mary Feinsinger (mezzo-soprano), Rymour Quartet, Reconnaissance, Oberlin Contemporary Chamber Ensemble
"All the works on this recording are from the late 1970s and early 1980s," comments Dan Asia. "They reflect my interest then I combining the energy of vernacular music (pop and jazz), with the structural and linguistic possibilities of contemporary classical music, and all of this refracted through the sonic possibilities suggested by the current nascent world of electronic music. While some of the works presented are solely electronic, and others are for acoustic instruments alone, my interest was in the cross fertilization that can occur between these genres." Dan Asia, composer-in-residence with the Phoenix Symphony, was born in Seattle, Washington in 1953. He has been the recipient of the most competitive grants and fellowships in music including a Meet The Composer-Reader's Digest Commission, a Guggenheim Fellowship, four NEA Composers Grants and ASCAP and BMI composition prizes. After receiving his B.A. degree from Hampshire College, where he studied music and European History, Mr. Asia attended the Yale School of Music, receiving the Master of Music degree. His major teachers include Jacob Druckman, Stephen Albert, Gunther Schuller, Isang Yun, Arthur Weisberg, Bruce MacCombie, Ron Perera, and Randall McClellan. He presently teaches at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| String Quartet No. 1 | Dan Asia | Rymour Quartet |
| Shtay | Dan Asia | Reconnaissance Ensemble, Mary Feinsinger, mezzo |
| Sand II for Mezzo-Soprano and Chamber Ensemble | Dan Asia | Reconnaissance Ensemble, Mary Feinsinger, mezzo |
| Miles Mix | Dan Asia | Oberlin Contemporary Chamber Ensemble |
| Rivalries | Dan Asia | Oberlin Contemporary Chamber Ensemble |
Reviews
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"...This disc is a compendium of five works the composer wrote between the ages of 23 and 27. As such, it is a document of a composer in search of his voice, but also it is clear that at this point, despite obvious talents, Asia had not yet reached a fully-formed, personal technique and aesthetic. Composers mature at dramatically different rates (just think of the conflicting examples of Mozart and Janacek), so this is no serious barrier to Asia eventually making a lasting contribution....Of the works on this collection, Sand II stands out as by far the most distinctive. Asia shows a genuine lyric gift: the vocal line, while not very thematic, is supple and sinuous, and the accompaniment is seductive in its colors and background flow."
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