Sun rays peak through the trees - Improv

[quantum]

Mvt. 1 - Sun rays peak through the trees

[quantum]

Mvt. 2 - What lies under the leaves

Mvt. 3 - Bountiful light

[rachfan]

Hi quantum,

These are very interesting improvs--highly creative and evocative.  The 3rd movement reminds me a little of Messiaen.  It's very contemporary in sound with intriguing harmonies.  I also notice you prepare standard repertoire pieces and post them here as well (and they are very well practiced too).  How do you split your time between the two endeavors?  Does the time allocated ever present any time conflicts?  Which activity gives you more satisfaction--performing repertoire or composing?  Finally, I like the sound of your piano a lot--NY Steinway?

   

[ted]

Here I am posting, in the one place, comments about quantum's nine 6/7 improvisations.

We live in a truly remarkable time for communication of this musical art of ours. Someone halfway around the world can record, at the drop of a hat and at close to commercial quality, a group of spontaneous pieces of amazing breadth of expression and diversity of keyboard vocabulary. Immediately after the creative event, in a country far away, I can use a simple computer programme to make an audio CD which, played in my hi-fi, is likely to outshine, in both musical originality, listening quality and transporting potential, anything I am likely to purchase, at considerable cost, from the biggest music store. Absolutely amazing; at least it seems so to me at nearly sixty.

Numbers one to nine of 6/7 form this CD, which I have just heard, not I think for the last time.

"After the Rain", "Morning Clicks", "Sun's Rays", "Preamble" and the remarkably succinct "Prelude" contain some exceedingly fine moments. The first and the last in this list also have an enviable coherency of development in the matter of phrase and chord. "After the Rain" grows almost completely from one small phrase and "Prelude" I initially thought must have been worked out beforehand.

"Critters in the Garden" is a delightfully evocative piece of impressionism. Insects, I think, rather than animals. I distinctly perceived a nocturnal web being spun at one point and, at the end, a cataclysmic and fatal encounter of predator and prey but by what and of what I hesitate to guess.

"Ridiculous" embodies its title at the meta-level. That is to say, I find it to be a depiction of the ridiculous, not ridiculous in itself. In this sense it also is a fine piece of modern impressionism and a feast of appropriate places and persons springs to my memory !

"In Search of the Dance" ? I do not know. I am at a loss regarding the title here. There is one brief but delicious change of pulse, which, being the type of player I am, made me yearn for more such and more syncopation. But this is scant criticism indeed.

Thanks and well done, Neil, I have a CD which, I am sure, will give me ongoing pleasure.

[Derek]

Wow. That was awesome. great stuff quantum    the sun rays peek through the trees was really gorgeous.  I second Ted's comments about the internet being amazing. Now all we need is an inter-galactic internet, then we can hear improv by aliens millions of light years away. haha.

[arensky]

This is fantastic. It barely sounds improvised, your improv skills have developed to the point where  your stream of consciouness speaks in clear cut (but not contrived) logical form. I really enjoyed all three of these, particularly your creatures under the leaves; happy bugs!     Or at least they seemed so to me.

"Hats off, gentlemen (and ladies). A genius!"


                                 

[pianowolfi]

Argh Quantum i am so sad that i can't listen right now, i am on a journey and almost nowhere is an opportunity to go online i am looking forward to listening and commenting when i am back.