Odyssey: Chamber Music Of Peter Blauvelt CD

"Trio for Violin, Viola and Piano" (2001)This composition represents an affirmation of life after a difficult period. The one-movement piece is somewhat rhapsodic in that it presents rather contrasting ideas, as well as solos, for each of the three instruments. The pace of the piece remains on the moderate side. (Performed in St. Petersburg, FL, 27 April 2002)"From Another World" (1998) for saxophone quartetThis composition is conceptually an electronic piece written for acoustic instruments. There is very little in the way of traditional structures or sound textures. The use of extended techniques is extensive, all of which makes this technically and musically very challenging piece truly “from another world.” The piece is dedicated to the Ancia Quartet. (Performed in Grinnell, IA, 1 October 1999)"Serenade for Cello and Harp" (1992)This three-movement composition combines two compatible string instruments with rather different sounds. During the course of the piece, a tightly structured first movement gradually gives way to a fairly free last movement, brought about by a disintegration process started in the second movement. It is as if a classical structure couldn’t fully contain the music as it wished to express itself. (Performed in Sofia, Bulgaria, 16 November 2002) "In profundum" (2002) for clarinet, cello and pianoThis is a one-movement composition for three rather different instruments. Stylistically diverse, the piece features contrasting sections, as well as a soloistic part for each instrument. Despite the variety of timbres and instrument combinations, the mood of the piece remains on the dark side, never tending much towards expressions of brightness. Hence the title. (Performed in St. Petersburg, FL, 10 February 2001)"Odyssey" (1991) for double bass and pianoOdyssey is a one-movement sonata with a fairly traditional structure. The music itself, though, wanders about, odyssey-like. This makes the piece’s firm structure necessary, since it serves as an anchor to the wandering music. Odyssey is also a good workout for both performers and features a few extended techniques. (Performed in Largo, FL, 12 January 1992 by Fon Silvers, double bass, and Peter Blauvelt, piano)"Oblaka" (1993) for mezzo-soprano and seven instrumentsOblaka is a song cycle for mezzo-soprano (or soprano) and seven instruments. The three songs, based on a Russian text by the composer, describe the symbolism of clouds or the lack of them in a person’s experience. The drama of the piece sometimes reaches levels of intensity that made it necessary for the music to go beyond the technical framework of what might be considered standard contemporary classical music. The horn, the only wind instrument in the ensemble, becomes the voice’s non-verbal counterpart in the piece. (Performed in Minneapolis, MN, 7 September 1997)==============PETER BLAUVELT (b. 1956) was born in France and grew up in Germany, where he began his studies in composition and piano. In 1975, he came to the U.S., where he studied at Harvard University. There, he received three degrees -- including a doctorate in composition. Since 1968, he has often given recitals -- not only of his own pieces -- in the U.S., France and Germany, in public and on the radio, and has received several prizes for both composition and piano. Meanwhile, he has also been performed in other countries in Europe and North America. After leaving Boston for Florida in 1984, he co-founded the "Tampa Bay Composers' Forum" in 1989 and founded "Creative Arts and Tutoring Services" in 1990. To date, he has written over 125 compositions, mostly chamber music, and has had nearly 100 of them performed in public.