Ready Ii Fly

Jonathan Harvey sits comfortably within a group of unique composers who break away from ordinary conventions of musical composition. By utilizing electronic devices in his music, he is capable of creating sounds that blend harmoniously within the fabric of an orchestra. Associated with the famed IRCAM research institute for electronic music, his ideas are in continual evolution as he finds new ways to seamlessly integrate electronic sounds with acoustic instruments. His 'Madonna of Winter and Spring' focuses primarily on the conflict between orchestra and electronics. Textured polyphony is combined with ambiguous melodies, creating a web of dense colors. Using reverberation in the synthesized material, he is able to produce lingering effects that end the work with solitude and simplistic grace.
The Percussion Concerto, based somewhat on the play of light, focuses on flashes of scalelike figures that move in ostinatos or canonic patterns. Performed here by Evelyn Glennie, the percussion is largely based on melodic instrumentation and gamelan-like keyboards.
Harvey's poetic 'Song Offerings' is an intimate work that shows off the talents of soprano Penelope Walmsley-Clarke. Filled with imagery reminiscent of a dream, the music expands outward until it dissolves symmetrically out to the highest and lowest possible notes. Conductors Peter E tv s and George Benjamin respectively conduct the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and the London Sinfonietta.