At the Still Point

Network for New Music is an award-winning chamber music ensemble widely acclaimed for its outstanding performances and its dynamic and diverse concerts. Led by artistic director Linda Reichert and conducted by Jan Krzywicki, Network's virtuoso musicians bring the sound of imagination to audiences eager for fresh musical adventures. In its first 20 years, Network has commissioned, premiered and presented a rich variety of more than 500 innovative new works. The three composers on this disc all share a lineage going back to George Crumb and Richard Wernick, connections to Philadelphia, a happy relationship with Network, and a commitment to renew the articulate, expressive power of melody, harmony and rhythm. In each composer, we encounter three very different approaches to form. Whitman offers emphatic sonic guideposts that locate us firmly - beginning, middle, end - in the discourse. Wagner (winner of the 1999 Pulitzer for Music) proposes a stream of consciousness narrative in which each moment suggests a continuation, leaving much of its past behind. Levinson interjects ritual, both athletic and ceremonial, arriving at healing states of contemplation remote from the every day activities. The high quality and diversity of these works are emblematic of Network for New Music's commitment to creating an art music for the future, today.