The Barton Workshop
CD 1
Violist Pieces (1997)*
1. Piece #1 (4:15)
2. Piece #2 (2:03)
3. Piece #3 (3:21)
4. Piece #4 – Resonant (1:06)
5. Piece #5 – Clear (0:58)
6. Piece #6 – Freely (2:26)
7. Kegama (1991)* (4:15)
for violin, clarinet/bass-clarinet, cello, piano & percussion
8. Peace March 1 (“Stop using uranium”) (1983-84)*
for flute (4:57)
9. Peace March 2 (1984)* (7:28)
for flute, clarinet, cello, piano, percussion
Emma (1988-89)*
for viola, cello & piano
10. Movement 1 (0:24)
11. Movement 2 (0:48)
12. Movement 3 (1:25)
13. Movement 4 (0:58)
14. Movement 5 (2:30)
15. Movement 6 (0:45)
16. Movement 7 (0:41)
17. Movement 8 (1:04)
18. Movement 9 (0:45)
19. Movement 10 (5:52)
20. Movement 11- Dancelike (1:47)
21. Digger Song (1988)* (10:44)
for violin, viola, cello & percussion
From Leaning Forward (1988)*
for soprano, bass-baritone, clarinet/bass-clarinet, cello & piano
22. A woman invented fire (1:47)
23. Drowning (II) (1:03)
24. The women let the tide go out (0:55)
25. Note to the grandparents (0:56)
26. Mulberry Street ends in good works (2:00)
27. The Sad Children’s Song (1:23)
28. This is about the women of that country (3:47)
29. That Year (2:17)
Nicola Walker-Smith, Soprano. Charles van Tassel, Bass-Baritone
CD 2
Three Pieces (1979-80) *
for violin & viola
1. Rock About (2:00)
2. Instrumental (3:13)
3. Starving to Death on a Government Claim (5:10)
4. For 5 or 10 Players (1962)* Version for 5 players (5:33)
for trombone, violin, viola, cello & percussion
Exercise(s) (15,16,17, 18) (1975)
5. Exercise 15 – solo piano (4:58)
6. Exercise 16 – for 2 instruments (clarinet and cello) (3:32)
7. Exercise 17 – for solo trombone (valve trombone) (6:47)
8. Exercise 18 – for 4 instruments (clarinet, cello, valve trombone, piano)
(6:58)
9. For 5 or 10 Players (1962)* Version for 10 players (12:21)
for flutes, clarinet, bassoon, trombone, melodica, violin, viola,
cello, bass, piano & percussion
10. Dark As A Dungeon (1977)*
for clarinet (7:26)
11. Schoenen met veters (1999)*
for flute, clarinet/bass-clarinet, trombone, violin, viola, cello
& bass
written for The Barton Workshop
Commissioned by the Fromm Foundation, 1998-99
* first recording
The scores presented on this 2-CD set cover 37 years of Christian Wolff’s composing, and present many different musical surfaces and syntaxes.
The early For 5 or 10 People is a graphic score from Wolff’s most experimental period. It is presented twice, once for 5 players and again for 10 players.
Since the 1970’s, Wolff has chosen songs from the political protest movement as starting material for many of his works.
These authoritative performances are by The Barton Workshop and James Fulkerson, who have had a long tradition of playing Wolff’s music.
Mostly first recordings.
The first recording of Schoenen met veters, a Fromm Foundation Commission written for The Barton Workshop.
Liner notes are by James Fulkerson.