NEXUS Now

NEXUS - NEXUS Now

Someone asked for more NEXUS a while ago.

released in 1989; recorded at McClear Place in Toronto, Canada on June 15 and 16, 1989

CD includes 5 pieces

Marubatoo (1989) composed by John Wyre

Bob Becker - marimba solo
William Cahn - marimba
Robin Engelman - crotales, songbells
Russell Hartenberger - vibraphone
John Wyre - bass marimba solo

Marubatoo is based on "Maruba", a composition for marimba and tuba written at Tanglewood, Massachusetts in the summer of 1987. The original solo marimba part remains intact. The tuba part is given to the bass marimba, generally assuming a melodic role, highlighted by crotales (tuned antique cymbals) and song bells.

Fauna (1988) composed by William Cahn

Bob Becker - marimba, Chinese opera gong, animal horn, quica
William Cahn - digital samplers and sequencers, New Guinea war-horn, conch shell horn, panpipes
Robin Engelman - marimba, handbell, melodion, Chinese opera gong, friction drum (lion's roar), bass harmonica
Russell Hartenberger - Chinese cymbal, Chinese opera gong, darabuka, quica, slide whistle
John Wyre - didgeridoo, darabuka, Chinese opera gong, New Guinea war-horn

Fauna was composed in May 1988. It is an experimental piece combining electronic and acoustic musical instruments, and it is also programmatic in nature.
The electronic instruments are used to generate reproductions of natural sounds (water, birds, voices), as well as reproductions of acoustic musical instruments (drums, marimbas, Chinese opera gongs, penny-whistles). These sounds are combined with acoustic instruments such as wooden and conch shell trumpets, a melodion, marimbas, and Chinese opera gongs, to produce music that is constructed around a single melody, harmonized, and repeated in several series of variations.

Cymbal (1988) composed by Bob Becker

Bob Becker - suspended cymbals, Pakistani iron bells, camel bell
William Cahn - crash cymbals, suspended cymbals, keisu bells, gongs
Robin Engelman - sheet cymbal, suspended cymbals, keisu bells
Russell Hartenberger - suspended cymbals, keisu bells
John Wyre - suspended cymbals, keisu bells, temple bowl, Tibetan cymbals

Originally conceived and performed as a solo piece in 1976, Cymbal was revised and reorchestrated for NEXUS in 1988. All of the sounds heard on the recording of this piece were produced acoustically in real time by the performers.
Conceptually this piece is based on the resonant tones inherent in the complex sounds of fine cymbals, reinforced by various other cymbals, bells and gongs of specific pitch. Structurally it is a slowly moving chorale - like progression beginning with an ambiguous altered seventh chord and finally cadencing in Db major.

Rain Tree (1981) composed by Toru Takemitsu

Bob Becker - vibraphone solo, crotales
Robin Engelman - marimba, crotales
Russell Hartenberger - marimba, crotales

Rain Tree belongs to Takemitsu's Rain Series and is scored for vibraphone, two marimbas and crotales. When Takemitsu was planning the piece he was greatly influenced by a novel of Kenzaburo Oe titled Atama no ij Ame no Ki. The opening page of the score has a paragraph quoted from this novel:

"It has been named the 'Rain Tree'; for its abundant foliage continues to let fall rain drops collected from last night's shower until well after the following midday. Its hundreds of thousands of tiny leaves -- finger-like -- store up moisture while other trees dry up at once. What an ingenious tree. Isn't it?"

Remembrance (1988) composed by Robin Engelman

Bob Becker - chang chiki, two cowbells
William Cahn - wood block, two piccolo wood blocks, chang chiki, squeak toy
Robin Engelman - two almglocken, rope drum, Cidelo Ihos, lion's roar
Russell Hartenberger - chang chiki, two cowbells
John Wyre - darabukas
Michael White - trumpet
Rachel Thomas - tenor trombone
Thomas Allen - bass trombone

A rhythmic motif or series of tones can recall music heard in the past. One can qualify this juxtaposition but it is, nevertheless, spontaneous.
Remembrance was written for NEXUS and is dedicated to an old porch swing. (from the liner notes)

Tracklisting:

1. Marubatoo {13:08}

2. Fauna {13:19}

3. Cymbal {11:59}

4. Rain Tree {11:11}

5. Remembrance {9:36}

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