In the Light of Air: ICE Performs Anna Thorvaldsdottír

The meditative, texturally rich landscapes of “In the Light of Air” for viola, cello, harp, piano, percussion and electronics by this young Icelandic composer are haunting, beautiful and unsettling... — New York Times, 11th December 2015 More…

Release Date: 28th Aug 2015
Catalogue No: DSL92192
Label: Dorian Sono Luminus
Length: 48 minutes

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Þorvaldsdóttir: In the Light of Air

Work length37:32

$9.00

$10.80

$15.75

Anna Thorvaldsdottir (electronics)
International Contemporary Ensemble
Recorded: 6-9 April 2015
Recording Venue: Sono Luminus Studios, Boyce, Virginia, United States

I. Luminance

Track length7:48

$2.00

$2.40

$3.50

II. Serenity

Track length9:56

$2.00

$2.40

$3.50

III. Existence

Track length3:43

$1.00

$1.20

$1.75

IV. Remembrance

Track length16:05

$4.00

$4.80

$7.00

Þorvaldsdóttir: Transitions

Work length10:43

$3.00

$3.60

$5.25

Anna Thorvaldsdottir (electronics)
International Contemporary Ensemble
Recorded: 6-9 April 2015
Recording Venue: Sono Luminus Studios, Boyce, Virginia, United States

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In the Light of Air is a tetralogy of works by Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottír that together form a unified structure, written for viola, cello, harp, piano, percussion & electronics.

The four main movements are titled Luminance, Serenity, Existence and Remembrance, and are connected by transitions to form a seamless flow throughout the work. The work also has a Prologue and an Epilogue. The work streams from one movement to the next through a flowing texture of sound materials and harmonies. The music material is constructed with a focus on subtle nuances and poetic textures that form lyrical gestures throughout the work. Melodies are generated just as much by sounds, gestures and nuances as by pitched lyrical material.

For the work, Anna designed an installation of metallic ornaments that are used in a solo in the percussion part in Remembrance. The ornaments, called Klakabönd in Icelandic (which translates as 'a bind of ice'), are created by Svana Jósepsdóttir. Parts of Remembrance insisted on echoing the melody of a song that Anna’s husband – Hrafn – wrote and dedicated to her in 2000.

In the Light of Air was written for the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) in 2013/2014 as part of their ICElab.

Transitions, the final piece on the disc, was written for Michael Nicolas in 2014. The theme of the work is ‘man & machine’, and is represented in that the cellist becomes both in the piece – man & machine. Man indicates expression and emotion, and machine indicates maximal technical accuracy, a somewhat stricter approach to the music. These two approaches transition from one to another throughout the work.

Reviews

New York Times 11th December 2015

The meditative, texturally rich landscapes of “In the Light of Air” for viola, cello, harp, piano, percussion and electronics by this young Icelandic composer are haunting, beautiful and unsettling by turns.

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