Laurie Conrad

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New CD: "Early Songs" by Award Winning Classical Composer Laurie Conrad with Program Notes by the Composer

Published on 3/7/2006

By Laurie Conrad

EARLY SONGS BY LAURIE CONRAD Figaro Recordings, 00546, ADD, 46:08 Louise McConnell, soprano Graham Stewart, baritone Composer Laurie Conrad, piano Recorded at David Arnay's Studio N in Ithaca, NY on January 27 and January 30, 1983 "Do You Remember" recorded at Calf Audio in 1993. Restored and remastered by Alfred B Grunwell at Fingerlakes Recording, Ithaca, NY in 2004 This disc has many of Laurie Conrad's earliest songs, sung by soprano Louise McConnell and baritone Graham Stewart. All these songs except the tonal tune "Do You Remember" were taped at David Arnay's Studio N in Ithaca, NY over two days in January, 1983. This disc is meant to be an archival disc, i.e. a definitive recording with the composer coaching the musicians and also playing her own scores. ________________ Laurie Conrad is a pianist and composer living in Ithaca, NY. Her music is performed all over the world by professional performers and ensembles, as well as on radio and television. Some of her honors include: Who's Who in American Music, The International Who's Who in Music (Cambridge), Who's Who in American Pianists, The International Encyclopedia of Women Composers, The Dictionary of International Biography and Marquis' Who's Who in America. She has also been the recipient of various grants. ___________ Early Songs: Program Notes by the Composer: Being clairvoyant and clairaudient, I see and hear things that most people are not consciously aware of. The texts to many of my songs reflect my inner experiences. Twelve tone, with its lack of a tonal center, seems to best portray other realms. I think of the tonal system, with all its beauty, being more a natural expression of our physical world - it is based on the lower partials of the overtone series. The chromatic notes that appear in the twelve tone system appear very late in the overtone series, in fact they are mainly inaudible to humans; therefore, in my mind, twelve tone has always represented that which is unseen and unheard, i.e. realms available only to clairvoyants and clairaudients. In these early songs, I follow the rules of twelve tone very strictly, especially in the two line songs. In my writing now, I break many rules if not most of them - and sometimes abandon the twelve tone system altogether. So, for me, this disc outlines an important stage of my musical development, and one that I most likely will never return to. The master tapes to all the songs except "Do You Remember" were misplaced or lost, so this disc was patched together from many different copies of the original master. My deep thanks to Al Grunwald who helped unearth tapes from his archives and for his restoring and remastering skills. _____________________ REVIEW by Lance G. Hill I found Ms. Conrad to be a composer who has the gift of writing music that is very much homogenized with texts. In other words, she has the keen ability to merge notes to texts that inspired her in the first place making it mean something immediately to the listener. To appreciate Conrad's work, one must know her thoughts on music: "I think of the tonal system, with all its beauty, being more a natural expression of our physical world - it is based on the lower partials of the overtone series. The chromatic notes that appear in the twelve-tone system appear very late in the overtone series, in fact, they are mainly inaudible to humans; there, in my mind, twelve-tone has always represented that which is unseen and unheard." There are two groups of songs on this disc of Early Songs by Laurie Conrad (23 tracks, but 22 actual songs forming a cycle) and Tonal Tunes (six tracks, two of which are the actual songs, but include an introduction to one song and a rehearsal to the other.) What makes the atonal Early Songs so attractive is the names of the individual pieces she gives each of the 22 song tracks, collectively entitled Songs of Will several of which time in at less than one minute. Here, one's imagination immediately goes to work once the title is known. One track comes in at four minutes, entitled "Rehearsal of 'The Visitor,'" composed to words by Ryota. We hear the artists tuning up, talking amongst themselves, receiving instruction from the composer, and rehearsing for the "real" take, which lasts 1'16". What a novel idea, to allow us to hear a piece of atonal music developing into a final performance . a composer at work with baritone, flute, and cello! Indeed, baritone Graham Stewart's rending of the "The Visitor," provides a mystique and eeriness (with flute and cello) that makes one wonder just who might be this "visitor." Titles within Songs of Will include "We are Playing," "Red Sun," "Flowers," "Feathers, with Piano," "Feathers with Instruments," "Tonight the Moon," "Prisms," "Stunned," "Insects Cry," and "Far Lightning," to name a few. Poetry for some of the music comes from Emily Dickinson, Arthur Tobias, and Ryota. Within the cycle-unlike cycles we are accustomed to hearing from traditional composers such as Schubert, Schumann, Wolf, etc., who generally wrote for voice and piano-Conrad has chosen to offer songs with piano, cello, flute, clarinet and voice, in myriad combinations. This offers a wide variety in color and expression for the listener. For example, in "Prisms," one can see a prism in the mind's eye, with the variegated colors. Conrad's music captured it perfectly for this listener. The recording was made in Ithaca, New York in 1983, with one track ("Do You Remember") having been recorded in 1993. The diction of the singers is impeccable, which it must be in order to fully appreciate the words and meaning of the song. Louise McConnell is a gifted singer whose possesses a full, clear, marvelously expressive and even voice. While the recording may not offer the digital characteristics of today, it is certainly adequate enough to allow us to appreciate the work of Laurie Conrad. _________________ Lance G. Hill Editor-in-Chief



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Press Release Follow-up Notes and Amendments

Correction: The author of this Press Release was J. Fortess.

Submitted on 3/7/2006

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New CD: "Early Songs" by Award Winning Classical Composer Laurie Conrad with Program Notes by the Composer