Surface Tension (mode 61), by Howard Skempton

Surface Tension (mode 61)

by Howard Skempton

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1.	Passing Fancy 00:45	buy track
2.	Drum Cannon 2 01:30	buy track
3.	Bends 01:06	buy track
4.	Call 02:34	buy track
5.	Fire 02:55	buy track
6.	Melody 01:20	buy track
7.	Recessional 02:59	buy track
8.	Tree Sequnece: 1. From the Palm Trees 01:50	buy track
9.	Tree Sequence: 2. Willow 01:40	buy track
10.	Tree Sequence: 3. Laburnam 00:47	buy track
11.	Tree Sequnece: 4. Duet for Piano and Woodblocks 01:15	buy track
12.	Tree Sequence: 5. Mountain Ash 01:10	buy track
13.	Surface Tension 1 06:43	buy track
14.	Three pieces for Oboe 03:43	buy track
15.	Surface Tension 2 07:56	buy track
16.	Moto Perpetuo 02:37	buy track
17.	Lament 03:19	buy track
18.	Small Change 01:53	buy track
19.	The Gipsy's Wife's Song 06:33	buy track
20.	Gemini Dances #6 01:37	buy track
21.	Lullaby 02:54	buy track
22.	Bagatelle 01:08	buy track
23.	Prelude 01:19	buy track
24.	Intermezzo 02:41	buy track
25.	Under the Elder 01:28	buy track
26.	African Melody 00:12	buy track
27.	Agreement 02:01	buy track
28.	Trace 00:54	buy track

about

What do you get when Erik Satie meets Anton Webern for a cup of tea in England? These delightful miniatures of Howard Skempton might just be it. With their distinctly English vocabulary, witty turns, and spare yet memorable melodies, Surface Tension offers a survey of Skempton’s music in solo through quintet settings from the 1970s through the 90s.

Born in Chester, England in 1947, Skempton moved to London to study with Cornelius Cardew in 1967. There, with Cardew, he co-founded the infamous Scratch Orchestra (whose members included Brian Eno as well as Rohan deSaram of the Arditti Quartet).

These composer prepared performances are by HCD Productions, a Frankfurt based ensemble formed as an off-shoot from the Ensemble Modern. HCD are champions of Skempton’s music, developing the recital recorded here as an evening length performance. To quote Skempton from his liner notes: “As thecomposer, I take my share of the credit for the individual pieces in this collection, but it is HCD who are responsible for the form (the composition) of the sequence. This is loosely symmetrical and manages to ensure both continuity and contrast.”

The superb players of HCD are joined by the renowned British soprano Sarah Leonard (noted for her work with Michael Nyman including Prospero’s Books) and the composer himself on accordion. Among HCD’s credits is their CD of music by Paul Bowles on the Largo label.

This Mode CD follows the release of the critically acclaimed Well,Well Cornelius, a recital of Skempton’s piano music performed by his associate John Tilbury on Sony Classics. A very special disc of delightfully accessible small-scaled works by one of Britain’s leading composers.

Also by Skempton on Mode Records is “Bolt from the Blue” (mode 226).

HCD Productions also recorded a disc of music by Walter Zimmermann for Mode (mode 150).

credits

released September 2, 2022

HCD Productions, Ensemble; Howard Skempton, Accordion; Sarah Leonard, Soprano.

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Mode Records New York, New York

A record label devoted to New Music, recorded and presented with the highest standards.

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