Ricochet and other music by Kerry Turner [2010 Edition]

Description

RICOCHET was commissioned in 1993 by the Freden International Chamber Music Festival in Germany. It was shortly before this commission Mr. Turner composed the first movement, Ricochet, at the request of David Ohanian, at the time the hornist with the Canadian Brass. For the commission, Turner expanded the work to three movements, originally entitled Rodeo, Repose and Ricochet. In the end, the two outer movements were reversed and combined with the middle movement, creating one piece. Ricochet belongs to a compositional period in which Turner exploited his Texan heritage. Other Texan works include the Quartet No.3, Kaitsenko and Ghost Riders.

FANDANGO was written in November 1996 for the American Horn Quartet. It was Turner s goal to evoke a passionate Spanish dance in the tradition of Ravel s La Valse, while at the same showcasing the particular virtuosity of the AHQ, which premiered the piece in Texas in 1996. Turner explains: At the opening, we behold a red cloak lying on the ground, rippling in a gentle breeze. Suddenly, a magical wind blows over the cloak, causing it to rise and fall, eventually becoming a Spanish dancer. The Dancer is tall and proud, and clothed in spectacular Spanish garb. The listener imagines a toreador or flamenco dancer, and images of the tango. The dance reaches a climax as the fandango rhythm is pounded out in almost frenzied fashion. At the very end, the magic spell departs, and the cloak falls lifeless to the ground.

THE LABYRINTH, commissioned by Susan Salminen and the Bethany Brass Ensemble at Bethany College in Kansas, was composed between October 1995 and January 1996. Turner s conception of the piece came from a dream in which he saw himself as a traveler, standing before the gate of a giant labyrinth which contained countless corridors through which he had to pass. The traveler, gate and corridors - the maze itself each have a unique theme and character all their own. Shortly after entering the maze, the traveler races through a sequence of corridors - some dead ends, some leading to others until, after a small surprise, he bursts into the open.

THE SEDUCTION, composed in March 1996, was originally intended to be the first movement of a larger work, but in creating the program for this CD, Turner thought it worked best as the middle movement of what has become a sort of trilogy: The Labyrinth, The Seduction and Quarter-After-Four. This period was a difficult one for the composer, and despite the creativity and originality of the works from that period, Turner designates them as being artistically void. Using haunting melodies, a wide spectrum of color, counterpoint and influences from his frequent travels to North Africa, The Seduction evokes the mental, spiritual and physical anguish of a personal battle between the spirit and the flesh. The Christian writer, Charles Swindoll, once wrote on this subject: If you get yourself into a situation that leaves you defenseless and weak, if your door is left even slightly ajar, you may be sure that this ancient enemy will kick it open with six-guns blazing.

QUARTER-AFTER-FOUR was written in September 1996 at the request of Attila Keresztesi. From the composer: Every night around 4:15AM, I awaken. It is neither sudden, nor brought on by a dream. My mind is blank as I drift out of sleep. Then, the first haunting thought occurs, usually of some unresolved dilemma. I turn it over in my head and am reminded of something I said to someone, perhaps related to the dilemma. Regret comes over me as I relive the remark. Turning on my side, I toss off an insult to myself about my mistake. I am reminded of something I must do the next day, and that I won t be able to, because of the dilemma. I turn to my other side, and other problems, each somehow related to the original, circle in my head.