Creating a Landscape

Featuring 20C works by North American composers, pianist Rea Beaumont’s Creating a Landscape (2009) parallels the impact composers have on our acoustic landscape that is similar to the physical impact we have on our natural landscape. Beaumont draws attention to the ecological concern of over-housing, perfectly captured by British photographer M. Nelson’s cover photo The Andes, which contrasts with the inside photo Foothills of the Andes.

The works on Creating a Landscape range from meditative to virtuoso. The CD opens with the stillness of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s (b.1935) famous spiritual work Für Alina (1976), written in the tintinnabular (bell-like) style. The album title was inspired by John Cage’s (1912-92) meditative work In A Landscape (1948), a luxurious piece with layers of sound and overtones created by a sustained pedal. Colin McPhee’s (1900-64) first composition, Four Piano Sketches, Op. 1 (1916), is a charming set of character pieces dedicated to his famed piano teacher Alberto Guerrero, who also taught pianist Glenn Gould. Barbara Pentland’s (1912-2000) retrospective Vincula [Latin ‘bonds’] (1983) that expresses in its title and program notes a protest against all forms of oppression, including world poverty. JUNO Award winner Chan Ka Nin’s work Vast (1987) blends Eastern and Western musical influences.

The album features the world premiere recordings of the introspective Subjective Geometries (1995) by University of Windsor (Canada) professor Brent Lee (b.1964) and the formidable Six Arrows by renowned composer-pianist Anton Kuerti.

Recorded at CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio with Studio Producer David Jaeger, C.M. (Executive Producer: Rea Beaumont).

01 Arvo Pärt Für Alina 2:22

02 John Cage In a Landscape 10:00

03 Colin McPhee Four Piano Sketches, Op. 1: I. April 2:41

04 Colin McPhee Four Piano Sketches, Op. 1: II. Prelude 1:35

05 Colin McPhee Four Piano Sketches, Op. 1: III. Water Nymph 1:29

06 Colin McPhee Four Piano Sketches, Op. 1: IV. Silhouette 1:48 Total 7:33

07 Barbara Pentland Vincula 9:40

08 Chan Ka Nin Vast 4:39

09 Brent Lee Subjective Geometries: I. Space Between 5:05

10 Brent Lee Subjective Geometries: II. Slow Curve 1:50

11 Brent Lee Subjective Geometries: III. Lines/Intersections 4:39 Total 11:34